Healthy seasonal recuperation of Lake Chapala and adequate water supplies for the Guadalajara metro area (ZMG) are in peril due to current drought conditions throughout the state of Jalisco.
A delayed and sporadic rainy season caused by meteorological phenomena from the Pacific Ocean has prevented dams from recovering their optimum levels.
Data from the National Water Commission (Conagua) reveals that water catchment in the dams is currently 30 percent lower compared to the same period in 2022.
By the end of August last year, the state’s principal dams were overflowing, requiring the release of excess water. This year none has yet to exceed 100 percent of capacity. A year ago the Calderón Dam stood at 95 percent of its holding capacity; it is now down to only 39 percent. The situation of the Calderón Dam has a direct impact on the city and, according to state authorities, a reduced level was the cause of the severe water shortages for a large part of the metropolis in 2021.
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