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January 21, 2006
Good News for Lake Chapala?

I've been bad about posting pics from trips lately, but here's some cool ones from the new year's Mexico road trip. We went up to Guadalajara then to Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. It's sort of a "Tahoe" type place, minus the snow, where a lot of people (Americans and Canadians in particular) have gone to retire. It's really quiet and really beautiful.

Anyway, it's also been a local catalyst for environmental action. Much like Mono Lake and the Aral Sea, industrial and urban water diversions have massively shrunk the lake from its normal levels, increasing the concentration of pollutants and wreaking havoc on the fishing industry. Introduction of the non-native water hyacinth has complicated matters as the devious plant is known to cover half the lake from time to time in a massive green carpet of un-navigable matter. It's also really shallow (about 15 feet), so many people feared the lake was literally on the verge of death.

Have a look at these Google Earth photos (click for full size). You will see the towns of Chapala and Ajijic, their respective piers, high and dry, and in the case of Ajijic, what appears to be a racetrack carved into what was once lake-bottom - indicating the assumed permanence of the dry condition.

THE TOWN OF CHAPALA:

THE TOWN OF AJIJIC:

I don't know when those satelites flew by, but this is what we saw a few weeks ago:

A lake full of water! With minimal hyacinths! Note the piers on the Google photos are the same piers in the photos I took. And the row of restaurants in Chapala is the same as the row behing the boats. The photo looking out from under the unbrella is from that same row of restaurants.

Chapala:

Ajijic:

I havn't done any research on the issue, but it looks to me that Lake Chapala is well on the road to recovery. Though perhaps this has just been a really wet year. Either way, quite fascinating.
Posted at 5:36 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack (0)
Category: Travel

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 Comments on this article:

Now I know what you were doing in class!!!

 Posted by: Joey on January 25, 2006 8:41 AM

Hola que tal? Happened to check out your page and noticed your Chapala visit. Have lived in a nearby town for 4 years now and love it. Very quiet, perfect for study and experiment. One of which was a weather mod project back in 2002 when the 'lake came back'. But I was told to not talk about it as many of the farmers might cut my throat if they knew I'd done anything. You see, any exposed land from the lake drying up becomes the property of the shoreline owner. Plus there are rumors some folks in government don't want the lake to come back because they want to develop the region and make more money. Stupid as without water this would be desert. Anyway, I only did my rain making project one year during which everyone commented on more rain this year than in the past 15 and it set the pattern for the next few years. These comments were also in the local papers and magazines. There were other factors (fortunately for them but which confused my efforts) including refilling from local dams and reduced consumption from Guadalajara. Either way, having seen the desert shoreline you show in the pre2002 photos versus these days with water all the way up to the pier...every little bit helps. If the lake begins to decline, I will use my device again as it was a remarkable effect for just one 3 month application of the technology. Guess I should haul it up to Texas since they are in a major drought......nos vemos (seeya!)

 Posted by: Jimmy on January 27, 2006 2:54 AM

Many say that GE photos are outdated, is it true according to Chapala?

 Posted by: Mag on March 1, 2006 6:47 AM

So tell me is the Lake up as the pictures show now? Hopefully YES.....

 Posted by: MaryLou on April 29, 2006 12:18 PM

I lkike the Photos

 Posted by: Mike on July 8, 2006 9:25 PM

Yep, the GE photos are indeed outdated. The photos were taken in January, 06.

 Posted by: Nick on August 9, 2006 8:21 PM

For those interested, here is some background on the lake's historical dimensions, and there are links on the page to some organizations working to preserve Lake Chapala:
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16298

 Posted by: Kathryn on December 5, 2006 6:58 PM

i have been visiting Lake Chapala for 10 yrs, It is thrilling to watch how the lake has come back, and interesting to talk to the locals and their philosophy for dealing with the constant changes. If the lake is up you fish, if its down you farm. Great Pic's, I've never seen the water up to the water wall, and I won't have a chance to go down this yr.

 Posted by: lianne on January 5, 2007 3:56 AM

Do you ever wonder what it's REALLY like in Mexico? This extraordinary video, "In the Depths of Mexico," was shot entirely in Ajijic, on Lake Chapala, the #1 expatriate retirement spot for Americans and Canadians. See www.LakeChapalaInformation.com for lots more stuff on Chapala and its environs. PASTE FOR VIDEO: http://www.lakechapalainformation.com/?p=301

 Posted by: berrie on September 2, 2007 3:02 PM




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