A state-funded program aimed at controlling excessive aquatic weed growth in Lake Chapala is slated to get underway this summer, according to a spokesman for the Intermunicipal Association for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development (Aipromades)
A four-million-peso funding purse for the initial phase of the Chapala Limpio program that the Jalisco Congress authorized last fall was paid out to Aipromades two months ago, according to planning coordinator Javier Zamora.
Aipromades, which has been named to take charge of operational management of the aquatic weed program, was established in 2009 to link lakeshore municipal governments in tackling regional environmental concerns. New headquarters for its working staff opened in Chapala’s Las Redes neighborhood last year.
In a recent interview with the Guadalajara Reporter, Zamora explained that the association is analyzing options for the acquisition of specialized mechanical equipment to extract lirio acuático (water hyacinth) and other types of plants that clog the Lake Chapala’s waters.
“The aim is to undertake integral management of water weeds, not eradicate them altogether,” Zamora said, noting that the plants have characteristics that play a vital part in the function of the lake’s ecosystem, such as providing habitat for fish and birds and absorbing toxic substances suspended in the water.
He said that excess vegetation removed from the lake will be deposited on dry land where it may be ground up for use as compost, soil enrichment, or raw material for crafts and other commercial products.