Characteristics of Lake Chapala
Lake Chapala is the largest freshwater lake in Mexico and is located 1,525 meters above sea level and 42 km south of the metropolitan area of Guadalajara. Its surface area is 1,112 km², and its catchment area is 53,500 km². The lake forms part of an east-west trench.
Hydrology: Lake Chapala belongs to the Lerma-Chapala-Santiago River Basin, one of the most important in Mexico. The Lerma River, which once replenished Lake Chapala, has been reduced to a trickle due to upriver dams and over-commitment of water.
Climate: The climate in the region is moderate, semi-tropical, and sub-humid with a single summer rainy season. Average annual evaporation greatly exceeds annual precipitation.
Water Uses: Principal uses of the lake water are irrigation, municipal water supplies for Mexico City and Guadalajara, tourism, recreation and fisheries. Of the 34 cities making demands on the basin's water resources, six have populations of more than 1,000,000.
Land Use: Areas around Lake Chapala, particularly on the north shore, have experienced a steady increase in economic activity and construction. Principal industries in the lake's drainage basin are agricultural (800,000+ hectares), chemical, petrochemical, import/export of handcrafted goods, and food processing.
Ajijic and Chapala from the air - photo by Gordon the
Flying Gringo
Population: Population density in the Lerma-Chapala-Santiago basin is 190 persons per square kilometer - nearly four times the national average. Approximately 300,000 people live on the lake's shores, including around 12,000 foreign residents and retirees (mostly Americans and Canadians). Over half the population is under the age of 18. (the date of these statistics is unknown).
Fishing in Lake Chapala - photo by Ute Hagen
Economy: Over 3,000 families on Lake Chapala depend on fishing for their livelihoods. State figures show total catches have declined by almost 70% over the last six years. In May 2001, it was reported that tourism had declined by as much as 50% and was mirroring the shrinking lake level.
Pelicans on Lake Chapala - photo by Tony Burton
Biodiversity: At one time, Jalisco was home to more than 7,000 species of plants, over 170 species of mammals, more than 525 bird species, and over 300 aquatic species, including several endemic fish species found nowhere else. Nutrient-sensitive fish species, including the native popocha, are almost extinct.
Environmentalists are highly concerned about deteriorating habitats and high levels of pesticides and toxins that birds may ingest while wintering in the region as they migrate to and from North and South America, Africa, and Europe.
Watershed/Basin
The Lerma-Chapala-Santiago watershed extends into five states: Guanajuato, Querétaro, the state of México, Michoacán and Jalisco. The larger drainage basin extends even further, into Zacatecas, Aguascalientes and Nayarit.