Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

tonyburton

Jan 20, 2012, 6:37 PM

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The level of Lake Chapala

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This week's Guadalajara Reporter has an interesting letter from Dr. Todd Strong about the "No to the aqueduct!" meeting.

However, his comment that "Never in history has the lake had six such years of stable surface area" is somewhat misleading, and should certainly not be taken to mean that the lake level in recent years has been high.
As the graph at http://www.ceajalisco.gob.mx/sia/niveles/niveles.html clearly shows, the lake was significantly higher in the past, and for sustained periods of time, even if its annual variability was slightly greater than in recent years.

(This post was edited by tonyburton on Jan 20, 2012, 6:40 PM)

Chapala Payaso

Jan 20, 2012, 7:53 PM

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Re: [tonyburton] The level of Lake Chapala

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When I arrived in the area in 2001, the lake was dramatically down. It was a 3/4 mile walk from the end of the Chapala pier to the water. Buses ran out there. When the dams released the water after being dangerously full, the water level continued to rise. Be aware that if the water level needed to be lowered in the dams there will be no hesitation in over filling the lake to flood levels once again. And if a dam broke, debris, bodies, and water would be swept into the lake. It is my understanding that an agreement was reached concerning lake highs and lows and it has been reasonable stable since that time. Now that the dams have filled, lake level will fluctuate some but I believe it will be reasonably stable. As to the proposed aquaduct, more water is lost to evaporation than GDL would ever take and mechanisms are in place to compensate for that eventuality. I see no need to fear for the welfare of the lake, especially with international eyes watching.

stevebrtx

Jan 21, 2012, 5:32 AM

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Re: [Chapala Payaso] The level of Lake Chapala

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Yes, international eyes are watching under the Ramsar Convention regarding the "theft" of Fed lands at lakeside - the're watching the land continue to be illegally walled and filled. My house used to be waterfront, now it sits behind 5 acres illegally filled and there is an ominous soccer area in the middle which would be perfect for a nice big hacienda one day. The owners originally bought my house in part because it was lakefront, they've now built a new house further E that is lakefront, at least for now. How much did this house depreciate? - hard to tell, but they've cut me a heck of a deal on continued renting because selling it is only a pipe dream.

The Tequila shack on the pier remains as well, so there is no proof that "international eyes" make a penny's difference. Much like the work going on across from Mirasol on the Chula Vista hill, they have to chop their way through closurado stickers each day to get to work, hasn't slowed them down yet.

As far as evaporation, that's a natural phenomena and can't be stopped, so might as well double it with something that can be stopped? I've lived on a lake that was fighting that battle daily, the thirsty never give up. Texas is in the middle of a drought and Lake Travis is down something like 40' and lots of "big straws" are exacerbating the problem daily.
http://www.chapalaweather.net

Chapala Payaso

Jan 21, 2012, 8:35 AM

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Re: [stevebrtx] The level of Lake Chapala

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Well, now, that had a lot of passion. Let me narrow the focus to where it was. That is the level of water in the lake. I am of the opinion that factor is doing just fine. I am a bit confused if you had lake front how someone could build between you and the lake. I am aware only too well how public land is confiscated by the powerful people with money to spend on bribery. I could take you to such a walled home in lower La Floresta. But that is a different topic and an argument could be made that this stolen land extension into the lake made the depth a small amount deeper. Of course that is a stupid position. For those of us living here in 2001, the lake has definitely improved and until the graph referred to earlier in this string shows a steady downward trend over time, I will just ho hum once again over the protestations of the gringo population wagging their fingers and predicting the sky is falling.

stevebrtx

Jan 21, 2012, 9:45 AM

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Re: [Chapala Payaso] The level of Lake Chapala

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Not passion, just a few facts as observed. Afterall it's not my country, not my land etc. so I only chronicle events with the passing of time and have empathy for the general population which is victimized by the few wealthy. I'm not a protester per se and definitely not a joiner of protests, one of the few deviations from that was the recent SOPA blackout, but it was my website and only required a few clicks to accomplish with the hope of informing some folks who might not be familiar.

Go down the main street through Mirasol (now blocked, probably also illegally) south to the lake, when you get to the end you'll be standing on illegally filled land euphemistically known as "the park". Turn right on Paseo del Lago and in about 300' you will observe a "nursery" that comprises about 5 acres of illegally claimed land created when the lake was down with walls and extended higher 3 years ago when the lake came up, you'll see a nice "soccer field" in the middle. No, it's not a park, there is chainlink and barbed wire surrounding it.

The story goes back about 7 years now and supposedly an initial "investment" of $30K under the table got the project started. When owners complained it is said the Chapala officials at the time came down to investigate and when they got to the juncture of Paseo del Lago and saw what was being complained about they rather quickly got back in their trucks and headed home, we've not seen them since except in Dec '08/Jan 2009 when they brought in 400 truck loads of dirt to continue filling what the lake was trying to reclaim. The closurado signs and stickers were ignored and/or torn down. Let's assume some additional "greasing" plus dirt hauling etc. and there is probably $250K or $300K invested in the project, not bad to create 5 acres of prime lakefront land.

This is a chronicle of that project http://360west.com/Riberas/

As you note, none of this has to do with lake level per se, but about the lake and how it's treated or mistreated. I'm sure the people who want the second aqueduct are completely honest and would never consider doing what was done by the City of Los Angeles to the Owens Valley some 80 years ago.
http://www.chapalaweather.net