In recent years, critical research has multiplied around the conceptual and theoretical approach to the role of water in the complex relationship between society and nature and in the power relations that go through its management. Within this conceptual proliferation, it is important to highlight the role of the political ecology of water. Concepts such as waterscape, hydro-social cycles deserve, according to our judgment, a particular attention, especially in a province like Mendoza where water is the pillar around which society and its territory are organized. In this work we propose mainly, to investigate these new concepts, their origins as well as the theoretical debates they generate. Then and in an exploratory manner, we will identify its contributions to the understanding of the complex water problems of the main basin of the province, the Mendoza River, with special emphasis on the issue of irrigation. Methodologically, we will start with a critical reading of the specialized bibliography for later, reinterpret the water situation of the basin in light of these concepts.