University students, teachers and townspeople recently gathered at the Casa de Cultura in Teuchitlán, Jalisco to celebrate World Wetlands Day (February 2) and to learn about the flora and fauna of nearby Laguna La Vega. In addition, they launched a stunning photo exhibit on the lake’s biodiversity by biologist Manfred Meiners.
The charming beauty of this lake, which covers 1,950 hectares, has long been appreciated by the countless people who patronize the popular restaurants on its northern shore. Those heading south from the restaurant zone to take a walk along a two-kilometer andador, will quite likely be amazed at the great variety of water birds they can see on both sides of the narrow isthmus along which the path has been laid out. More adventurous types who have kayaked around the lake have discovered a surprising variety of creatures on its more isolated shores, all of which – in 2010 – resulted in the designation of Presa la Vega as a Ramsar Site, one of more than 2,000 wetlands considered to be of international importance. By the way, if you are thinking of bird watching at this lake, you might want to contact the Jalisco Water Commission to see if you can get a copy of their 12-page booklet “Aves de la Presa de la Vega,” the perfect thing to have with you as you stroll along the andador – and the birds are identified in English, Spanish and Latin. Their telephone is (33) 3030-9200 and their website is www.ceajalisco.gob.mx.
The lake houses 145 species of birds, 57 species of mammals and 25 species of fish, including the Butterfly Goodeid (Ameca splendens), a favorite of fish fanciers around the world, endemic to the Teuchitlán area but now in danger of extinction. Surprising was the discovery in Lake la Vega of river otters (Lontra longicaudis) which have been designated an endangered species in Mexico. With their long tail, they can measure up to 1.5 meters in length and are considered indicators of the quality of an ecosystem, because they feed on fish and crustaceans which require relatively clean water for their survival. According to Juan Carlos Pulido of Teuchitlán’s Centro Cultural Coaxicar, otters were first spotted in the lake in 2000 by local fishermen and were referred to as perros de agua (water dogs) because no one knew exactly what they were.
“But in 2004,” says Pulido, “one of these creatures was forced to cross the highway over the Teuchitlan River because somebody was fishing under the bridge and, desafortunadamente, it was hit by a car. At first, no one could identify this ‘half-dog, half-fish’ until experts told us it was a nutria (otter).”
Recently, Manfred Meiners, who produces BioFilms documentaries, managed to photograph a mother otter with two babies, suggesting that recent advances toward decontaminating the lake are making progress. “Otters are nocturnal and very skittish,” says Meiners. “I’ve been working for four years now to get near them and had to construct my own gear, such as rafts and kayaks.”
In the past, the major polluters of the lake have been the Tala Sugar Refinery and the town of Teuchitlán. For years, the refinery, although owned by the government, flaunted that same government’s clean-water laws, producing a river of black waste which was channeled directly into the lake.
Things are changing, however, and both the ingenio (refinery) and the town are now constructing waste-treatment plants. “This is a great sign,” says an anonymous commentator, “but Mexico is full of waste-treatment plants which were built, but never put into operation. Construction of the plant is a feather in some politician’s hat, but if the government allocates no monies for operation and maintenance, the plant is doomed and eventually sits idle, slowly degenerating into a modern ruin.”
Fortunately, this picturesque lagoon has a Technical Committee for the Integral Management of La Vega Dam working for cleaner waters, including naturalists like Manfred Meiners, who are calling the attention of Jalisco and the world to the lake’s rich variety of plant and animal life. Meiner’s outdoor photo exhibit is now on display at the Phil Weigand Centro Interpretativo Guachimontones and will be there until March 9. An entrance fee of 30 pesos is now charged, but golden-agers and teachers with school IDs get in free. If you phone or email them in advance, they can arrange for you to have an English-speaking guide and to see their documentary video in English. Cell phone: (384) 109-0388, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The place is open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It’s closed on Mondays and free to everyone on Tuesdays.
How to get there
To reach Teuchitlan from Guadalajara, take Highway 15 west (toward Nogales) for 25 kilometers and turn right onto Highway 70 heading southwest toward Ameca. After 17 kilometers you’ll pass the large sugar refinery at Tala. One and a half kilometers later, turn right onto a road signposted Ahualulco. After 14 kilometers, as you approach Teuchitlán, turn left to go to one of the lakeside restaurants. Continue past the restaurants to reach the trailhead (N20 40.529 W103 50.527) of the two-kilometer bird-watching walkway. To visit the ruins and the Phil Weigand Center, drive into Teuchitlán and pass the plaza. Take the first right after the plaza and you’ll quickly come to a road signposted Guachimontones. Turn left and drive up to the parking lot (N20 41.599 W103 50.513).
From Lake Chapala, take the airport road north. Drive 4.4 kilometers past the famous Burritos de Moyahua Restaurant and make a U-turn to go towards Cajititlán. Pass Tlajomulco and Tala and you’ll come straight to the Ameca road and the sugar refinery. Now turn left and follow the directions above. Driving time either from Guadalajara or the lake is about one hour.