As Lake Chapala shows signs of a troubling decline, newly appointed general director of the National Water Commission (Conagua) David Korenfeld Federman, and Elias Chedid Abraham, his chief for the Lerma-Santiago-Pacífico region, may be forced to show their professional mettle. Both men boast strong academic backgrounds and administrative experience in water issues.
Despite a recent spate of rain and cloudy weather that tends to slow down the normal winter-spring evaporation rate, Conagua reports that the lake has lost 47 centimeters of its water level since mid-September, almost equal to the 49-centimeter gain registered during last year’s rainy season.
Currently standing at 47.6 percent of full capacity, the lake is now on par with its status 15 years ago, at the dawn of a prolonged crisis that prevailed until 2003.The situation is bound to test the new government, as well as management policies for the Lerma-Chapala watershed implemented since 2005 to help balance the water supply and sustain farming, industry, public use and Mexico’s largest lake.
Chedid replaces Raul Antonio Iglesias Bentinez. After holding the post for 11 years under two administrations, Iglesias was not only dismissed from Conagua, but also banned from holding any public office for the next 10 years. The Ministry of Public Function imposed the penalty for unspecified “administrative negligence” three days after the government of President Peña Nieto took office.