The Plenum - LCR003
Alternative Science Outlook
By Jerry W. Decker

About Lake Chapala
Lake Chapala Review Article - July 2002 Issue

Although I am new to the area, I share greatly in the concerns about the dwindling lake. That is one of the reasons I offered to write for the Lake Chapala Review, because they seem to be very concerned about it. I have read many articles quoting various numbers and estimates including one saying the lake is currently down to 18% of its maximum size. Driving over the mountain, it is truly shocking to see the two nearby islands growing larger by the week as the water level shrinks.

Some of the numbers indicate 75 inches of annual evaporation which exceeds the nearly 31 inches of annual precipitation. The average lake depth is reportedly two meters though I see fishermen walking ankle or knee deep far out into the water near San Nicolaus, Chapala and San Antonio. One estimate claims the lake has 2,100,000,000 cubic meters of water left, further calculating as much as 1,700,000,000 cubic meters could evaporate away over a two year period. On top of this, an estimated 240,000,000 cubic meters of water a year is used by Guadalajara. If that two year loss estimate doesn’t get your attention as it did mine, then it must not matter to you.

A usage figure reported in one article estimates 270 liters (about 60 gallons) per person per day with some 300,000 people in the lake area and includes what Guadalajara removes. I find this 270 liter figure difficult to believe.

Have you noticed we always have clouds moving around the mountains and often a dense fog covers the upper portions? This reminded me of the Chilean ‘Fog Trap’ project which saved one village. Basically, it uses a double layer of polypropylene mesh net, stretched horizontally between two upright poles and requires no energy.

These nets are situated at right angles to the wind on the sides and tops of the mountains, allowing the fog to collect as water droplets which are then channelled into a storage system. The Chilean system averages 7,200 liters of water per day (1,902 gallons) even during drought in the valley.

With a total of 88 collectors, the system provides 40 litres of water per person per day (10 gallons/day), compared with 3.7 gallons a day before the project began. These numbers indicate a population of approximately 190 people with each of the 88 traps providing 21.5 gallons per day.

Chungungo now has about 500 people and maintenance of the fog traps is carried out by the villagers. One of the articles about this notes ‘the collectors are managed by a local committee, which charges a small fee to each household. If a household greatly exceeds the average monthly water consumption, the fee is much higher.’

Applying this technology in the Chapala/Ajijic area would not solve the problem though it might partially abate the water volume being removed from the lake. Use of ‘Fog Traps’ here might also be compromised by the setting of hillside fires which I am told are started by local Indians wanting to burn off brush for farming.

Estimating 10 gallons used per person per day with 300,000 people comes to 3,000,000 gallons per day. With 88 Fog Traps providing nearly 2,000 gallons per day in Chile, you can estimate 22 gallons per trap which would require 136,363 traps for this area, clearly impractical. Even for a city like Chapala with roughly 15,000 people using 10 gallons a day would require 682 traps, again clearly impractical, though use of the traps might provide some relief.

Yet another problem I have encountered is the disparity between those who want the lake to be refilled, which would increase tourism and growth, while retirees I have spoken with do not want the lake refilled as tourism would increase the prices and the local traffic, thus making it hard to live on their fixed incomes. Some Mexicans I have spoken with also do not want the lake refilled as they want the exposed land for agricultural and real estate purposes.

Personally, I think those wanting the lake to disappear are very short sighted and self serving. If the lake goes away, this area will become a dustbowl and many will leave. We are after all, merely STEWARDS of the planet and expected to leave it equal to or better than we found it for each other and our inheritors. If we have to cut back on our personal water usage AND get involved in ways to restore the lake, I consider it part of our responsibility and duty in exchange for the privilege of living in such a beautiful, culturally diverse country.

I would appreciate any questions or feedback to Jerry Decker which might be used in the column or posted online.

Lake Chapala Review - Alternative Science articles Index

Lake Chapala Review

Mexico Connect

KeelyNet Loader page