Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

Kip

Aug 13, 2003, 11:01 AM

Post #1 of 4 (340 views)

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The lake is dying?

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Since no one is discussing anything exciting or actually anything at all!!,.. I have been forced to start reading all of the articles for my Ajijic fix. I've been highly entertained by Uncle Donnie and then horrified by Tony Burton's reports on the health of the lake and the iffy future well water situation.

Has anything changed to brighten this bleak prospect? Are they really going to drain part of the Lake? If the reports of the high densities of toxins and other "nasty stuff" is all correct, what about all the folks who make their livings off of the lake, eat the fish, water their stock and irrigate their gardens? Has there been any problems with aborted pregnancies or birth defects, cancer? I know that I've been told not to eat the fish from the lake, but someone's eating them.

What about the well issue? Are they starting to have problems? Is there a possibility that the toxins in the lake could seep into the ground water for the wells? Am I overreacting? (I sure hope so!!!)

Kip
kip

Jerry@Ajijic

Aug 13, 2003, 7:21 PM

Post #2 of 4 (294 views)

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Re: [Kip] The lake is dying?

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Kip, There has been some talk about damming part of the lake to make the water in the rest of the lake higher. I do not think that will happen. As I understand it they tried that some years ago and all it did was make some people who leased the "new" land a lot of money and didn't help the lake. Of course there are supposedly some people now who would like this to happen as they lease some of what used to be lake bottom and might like more. Who knows?

LindaM

Aug 15, 2003, 12:43 PM

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Re: [Kip] The lake is dying?

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I read recently there is a high incidence of seizures among the Mexican children here at lakeside. It mentioned the possibility that eating fish from the lake could be a contributing factor.

Bubba

Aug 22, 2003, 2:15 PM

Post #4 of 4 (157 views)

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Re: [LindaM] The lake is dying?

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I realize that this is a superficial answer regarding the health of the lake. The lake is assuredly full of toxins and may be dying but, having just returned from the beach after a heavy rain I noticed that the water level is much higher that I have seen it in the three rainy seasons I have been here. The lake is quite beautiful at the present time.

As I have mentioned before, we walk the lake almost daily with our dogs and more and more land is being fenced off for truck farming and livestock raising . We also observe vendors selling fish from the lake daily on Colon and at the Joco central market. These fish, some type of carp I think, reek of lake mud and can't possibly good for you.

But, my question is, if the lake bottom is so toxic, are the vegetables grown on recaimed land exposed by the receding lake toxic as well? What about the cattle grazing on this land and drinking the water? Kind of scary since one never knows where this meat and produce is sold locally.

(This post was edited by Bubba on Aug 22, 2003, 2:23 PM)