In an effort to expand the irrigation that is essential for agriculture and economic growth in the Azua valley, the Government of the Dominican Republic (GODR) in April 1978 initiated the YSURA irrigation project. Despite important quantifiable results, however, YSURA has been plagued by incomplete construction, inappropriate planning, and poor operation and management practices. These problems were intensified by flooding caused by Hurricane David in 1979, which inundated 45% of the cultivated land, three quarters of which remains unreclaimed. The three papers comprising this research report focus on how small farmers are responding to this troublesome situation and how they are reacting to the constraints imposed directly and indirectly by the irrigation system. Issues discussed include: (1) the history of the Azua region and YSURA's place in Dominican agrarian reform; (2) management problems in the Azua relating to crops, water, soil, drainage, and salinity from both the farmers' and the GODR's point of view; and (3) the role of small farmers, GODR agencies, and private agribusinesses in the development of the region.