The European Unions Water Framework Directive, and in Spain the National Irrigation Plan, call for the sustainable and integrated use of water resources. Here we report the results of a questionnaire administered to irrigation users in the Terra Chá region of northwest Spain, as the basis for a water management model, and to allow identification of a representative subsample of respondents for ongoing monitoring of irrigation use in this region. The proposed management model should fulfill the dual aims of sustainable water management, namely to promote long-term social and economic development and at the same time ensure long-term environmental protection.