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swimming in Lake Chapala


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I've been away from Lakeside for two years, but I seem to remember people, though perhaps not gringos, actually in the water at the beach at the west side of the Chapala pier.  Does anyone swim there now?  Is it said to be safe or unsafe?  Has Dr. Strong had anything to say about it?

I saw lots of footprints in the beach sand this afternoon, but no one on the beach or in the water.  

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its safe people were swimming in Ajijic  next the malecon in front old posada.

Also fisherman are near the shore waste deep casting their nets,

water is cleaner then the east cost of the united states.

 

Tod stong drinks the water every year  in front of a crowd of 200 people with a little chlorine in it.

 

 

 

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It is unknown how safe it is. A lot of untreated sewage goes into the lake. It is cold though-usually in the low 20s. I've been waiting for years to swim in the lake. Trying to find a suitable place has been a problem for me. In most places the water is very murky. You can't see what is down there-there could be broken glass, tins cans, barbed wire, the remains of fishing nets, etc. A guy who works with the fish farms near Mezcala says at certain times of the year it may be okay to swim there. The bottom there isn't silt. It is rockier so that silt from the bottom isn't stirred up so the water is clearer. This guy told me that they monitor the water temperature. In April and May the temperature can get up to the thirties. I'm planning to try and swim there this year. I will wear sandals and try to find a place nearby to shower off afterwards. Regardless of how safe it may be it usually does not look very inviting as I am used to swimming in clear water.     

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The lake is filthy dirty. That's a fancy trick that Todd Stong does every year, but to what end? He's trying to prove that the lake isn't polluted... when it is? Forget about the lake itself -- its pollution travels from the water, through the air and to the towns along the lake.

(Read this for more info about that: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-health-village/murky-business-a-hunt-for-answers-as-children-fall-sick-around-mexico-lake-idUSKBN1DY11E)

The lake is polluted with heavy metals. Tests confirm this -- just go to Mezcala and check out the huge banner they've posted on the quiósco about this. UNESCO or some similar organization was involved.

Certainly trust them much more than some guy named Todd Stong who EVERYONE always brings up whenever lake pollution is mentioned.

Compared to even 10 years ago, the lake is filthier than ever -- much filthier than the East Coast of the United States. But compared to 50 years ago, the lake is a radioactive nightmare. Anyone who has been here that long will tell you the lake used to be crystal clear.

But, if you don't mind a little kidney disease, go for a swim. A little town not too far from Ajijic has the second-highest kidney disease rate in the world.

https://www.google.com.mx/search?ei=o1iyWoWfAfHn5gKLkJhQ&q=kidney+disease+lake+chapala&oq=kidney+disease+lake+chapala&gs_l=psy-ab.3..33i21k1j33i160k1l2.5878.13061.0.13213.27.22.0.0.0.0.286.2572.0j12j3.15.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..12.14.2424...0j35i39k1j0i203k1j33i22i29i30k1.0.MF0DtHYUEAY

 

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2 hours ago, cedros said:

It is a mystery to me why Mr. Stong keeps saying how clean it is.

 

If I felt the urge to take a swim, I can't think of any reason I'd prefer to do so in the cold, murky waters of the lake instead of a heated, treated pool.

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And be careful after heavy rains, in Ajijic everything that is on the streets gets washed down into the lake. We have the same issue at home (Canada) in the  tourist/beach area we live in. During heavy rains the rain water comes off the farmers' fields, etc. into the river and it ends up in the lake and the Ecoli levels go up for a couple of days.

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2 minutes ago, cedros said:

It is a mystery to me why Mr. Stong keeps saying how clean it is.

No mystery. He and many other scientists and scientific organizations have done a lot of research over the years. Many people swim in it and not just Mexicans. i believe a couple of pictures are worth more than your constant negative words every time a lake topic comes up. Have a nice time swimming in your Raquette Club pool,cedros, but why don't you have it checked sometime for the urine to water ratio.

swimming oct 31,chapala beach.jpg

swim t-shirt 031.jpg

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7 minutes ago, ficklepie said:

The lake is filthy dirty. That's a fancy trick that Todd Stong does every year, but to what end? He's trying to prove that the lake isn't polluted... when it is? Forget about the lake itself -- its pollution travels from the water, through the air and to the towns along the lake. ... Certainly trust them much more than some guy named Todd Stong who EVERYONE always brings up whenever lake pollution is mentioned. ...

I'm not surprised, but kind of amazed, when people castigate experts on a given topic simply because they are mentioned frequently. Talk about reverse logic. Dr. Stong has been researching this lake and assisting Mexican officials for years before your name ever came up. Probably knows more about this lake than everything I ever learned in my entire lifetime.

He has also restored the business lives of untold numbers of fishermen by debunking the mercury issue. I suggest you read this latest report before firing off your blanks. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwibw8eczv3ZAhUDXq0KHXlGAogQFggpMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.focusonmexico.com%2F%3Fdownload_id%3Da6e1ba29b2755968a99f22e39766641a&usg=AOvVaw3e8BYsTB2hejrivfkRblHZ

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CG, why confuse some people with facts, studies (one from Harvard University), and reports when their minds are already made up? Some people believe what they have decided to believe and will never change their minds.  

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6 minutes ago, Xena said:

CG, why confuse some people with facts, studies (one from Harvard University), and reports when their minds are already made up? Some people believe what they have decided to believe and will never change their minds.  

I could send I joke right now but people would not like. hahaha

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1 hour ago, ComputerGuy said:

I'm not surprised, but kind of amazed, when people castigate experts on a given topic simply because they are mentioned frequently. Talk about reverse logic. Dr. Stong has been researching this lake and assisting Mexican officials for years before your name ever came up. Probably knows more about this lake than everything I ever learned in my entire lifetime.

He has also restored the business lives of untold numbers of fishermen by debunking the mercury issue. I suggest you read this latest report before firing off your blanks. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwibw8eczv3ZAhUDXq0KHXlGAogQFggpMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.focusonmexico.com%2F%3Fdownload_id%3Da6e1ba29b2755968a99f22e39766641a&usg=AOvVaw3e8BYsTB2hejrivfkRblHZ

I don't question the validity and usefulness of Dr. Strong's work.  I question why anyone would want to swim in the cold lake with its unknown content bottom when there are much better tended and warmer pools, both private and commercial.  Fish, fine, but swim?  Brrr.

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1 minute ago, gringal said:

I don't question the validity and usefulness of Dr. Strong's work.  I question why anyone would want to swim in the cold lake with its unknown content bottom when there are much better tended and warmer pools, both private and commercial.  Fish, fine, but swim?  Brrr.

If you think it's that cold,etc. you have never been in it so why bother to comment on something you have no experience with.

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4 minutes ago, ned small said:

If you think it's that cold,etc. you have never been in it so why bother to comment on something you have no experience with.

The temperatures have been measured and publicised for a long time. I think it's reasonable to take the word of those doing the measuring. I don't need to jump in to verify it.

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Just now, ned small said:

If you think it's that cold,etc. you have never been in it so why bother to comment on something you have no experience with.

Um, because it's an opinion ? Like you don't have any.

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3 hours ago, ned small said:

No mystery. He and many other scientists and scientific organizations have done a lot of research over the years. Many people swim in it and not just Mexicans. i believe a couple of pictures are worth more than your constant negative words every time a lake topic comes up. Have a nice time swimming in your Raquette Club pool,cedros, but why don't you have it checked sometime for the urine to water ratio.

swimming oct 31,chapala beach.jpg

swim t-shirt 031.jpg

You are mistaken-very few people swim in the lake. Those are both photo ops.

Why do I have negative words-because I studied Limnology (lakes) in university and I have done research on quite a few of them. Chapala is a disgrace-a lake on it's last legs. This is a shame because as Mexico's largest lake it should instead be a gem.  

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The one on the bottom is but the one on the top is not atypical during the warmer weather.  The Mexicans do swim in the lake.  Judging from the bottom picture the gringos must take strong drink in with them.

Not that long ago this was published:

https://www.worldcrunch.com/food-travel/to-kill-a-river-how-mexico39s-santiago-was-polluted-beyond-repair

This river is the principal tributary to Lake Chapala.  I think I'll let y'all swim in it.  :)

 

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11 minutes ago, Mainecoons said:

Judging from the bottom picture the gringos must take strong drink in with them.

 

Looks like a baptismal by a fundamentalist group full of the holy spirit.

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30 minutes ago, Mainecoons said:

The one on the bottom is but the one on the top is not atypical during the warmer weather.  The Mexicans do swim in the lake.  Judging from the bottom picture the gringos must take strong drink in with them.

Not that long ago this was published:

https://www.worldcrunch.com/food-travel/to-kill-a-river-how-mexico39s-santiago-was-polluted-beyond-repair

This river is the principal tributary to Lake Chapala.  I think I'll let y'all swim in it.  :)

 

The bottom photo is gringos and Mexicans  on a New Years day spending 20 minutes in the water supporting Cruz Roja to the tune of just under $200,000 pesos . i took the picture and was told by them ,that the water was considerably warmer than the air. During the hot season in May one year a group of us were having libations at the Beer Garden and all went in for a refreshing dip and swim.

 

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