Lakesiders should be encouraged by recent occurrences that bode well for Lake Chapala.
Thanks to abundant rainfall over the summer months, and an extra boost brought on by Hurricane Patricia, Mexico’s largest lake has continued on an upward trend over the past five years, reaching just over 62 percent full capacity last November.
Last year, Chapala’s former mayor and the local harbormaster announced plans to dredge the city’s waterfront and refurbish its pier. More importantly, tied into that federally funded initiative is the intention to establish a fixed minimum of the lake’s level to assure that water will not recede far from the shoreline.
And just last week Jalisco’s governor promised to focus government attention on the lakeshore region over the remaining years of his term of office, including starting a permanent program to control Chapala’s water hyacinth plague. We can hold out hope that government authorities will likewise persevere in fighting pollution for improved water quality.
Lake Chapala has had its ups and downs throughout history, some provoked by modern mankind and others due to the vagaries of nature beyond our control.
Since record-keeping on the lake’s status began in 1900, Chapala has only swelled to full or flood levels a few times, notably in 1926 and 1935, before dam building in the Lerma-Chapala watershed began, and again to slightly lower marks over the years 1967-1976. It dipped to record lows in 1955, 2001 and 2002 before the dramatic surge of 2003.
But historical accounts also point to periodic floods and droughts in earlier eras.
So by all reckonings, we can count on seasonal fluctuations in this precious natural resource and climate regulator over the years to come. The impact of climate change and other unpredictable factors are impossible to calculate.
The probabilities of Chapala’s pier, main streets and emblematic railway station going under water as they did in peak years are slim to none. If we’re lucky, the lake will be spared the severe descents witnessed in times of drought. Both extremes are anomalies rather than the norm.
For now, let’s enjoy the positive conditions of the moment and root for more good signs.