The first mechanical components for removing patches of lirio acuático (water hyacinth) from Lake Chapala arrived this week, advancing plans to launch the four-million-peso weed control program in early November once the rainy season subsides.
Gabriel Vazquez Sánchez, general director of the Asociación Intermunicipal para la Protección del Medio Ambiente y Desarrollo Sustentable del Lago de Chapala (AIPROMADES) that will oversee the project, received the new equipment when it was delivered to Chapala’s municipal nursery early this week. The 12-meter long moveable band, powered by a portable diesel motor, will be utilized to transport the plants to land as they are collected in the water by a Tiger Cat extraction boat.
The boat has been purchased from a company in West Palm Beach, Florida and is now on its way to the border, he said.
The hyacinths and another prolific weed known as water lettuce have spread rapidly as inflow from the lake’s tributaries increased over the last month. Removal will target inlets along the shoreline, especially in the principal tourist zones of Jocotepec and Chapala.