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Fiscal primary sources such as the Cadastre de la Ensenada (1752-1753) highlight the important role of irrigation in western Galicia and the significant differences in yields which existed between those grain-growing areas which could be irrigated and those which could not. This situation brought about intense conflicts, which multiplied during periods of expansion characterized by far-reaching changes in the productive model, and conversely abated during periods of Malthusian maturity. However, this process diverged within the region under examination due to the cconflicting motives of the actors clashing over the water resources.