The burgeoning waters of the Río Lerma, fueled by intense rainstorms this month, recently pushed the river over its banks into fields and towns along the eastern extremes of Lake Chapala.
According to September 12 reports issued by the Jalisco Civil Protection and Firefighters Unit (UEPCB), 50 homes in the communities of La Ribera and La Concepción, Municipio Ayotlán, were affected by floodwaters measuring 90 centimeters to 1.8 meters in depth. Minor damage in El Salitre was limited to public streets. Flooding also occurred in neighborhoods of La Barca.
The Río Lerma is the main tributary of Lake Chapala, supplying a significant portion of its water and acting as a crucial component of the Lerma-Chapala-Santiago river system. At 470 miles in length, Mexico’s second-longest river begins its journey to Lake Chapala in the Mesa Central, about 15 miles southeast of Toluca, at an altitude of over 10,000 feet.
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