Lake level

[cedros]

The lake level has been rising quickly the last two weeks after dropping for two weeks.

[ibarra]

Just curious, what is your source for this information?

[bournemouth]

https://www.ceajalisco.gob.mx/contenido/chapala/chapala/comportamiento.html

[Ferret]

also https://www.ceajalisco.gob.mx/contenido/chapala/#nivel-diario

 

 

[cedros]

The lake is now at a higher level (and rising) than the highest recorded in 2016 which was reached October 26th.

[cedros]

The lake keeps going up. It has now passed the 2017 high which was reached October 13th.

[utilitus]

Just came across this technical study of Lake, new to me, seemingly dated about a year and a half ago.  The english is a bit tortured, but the data and interpretation seem significant:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319692488_Water_Quality_Index_of_Lake_Chapala_in_Mexico_and_its_potential_risk_to_public_health  

[dixonge]

I noticed that the lower wall around the Ajijic malecon is almost completely under water. One stretch to the west still has 1-3" exposed. After this morning's rain I'm wondering how long that will last!

[ComputerGuy]

It's quite something, isn't it. A week ago, you could still walk and park in front of the Old Posada. Now most of that is under water. This is a result of the dams releasing water, though, not because of our rain locally.

[Mainecoons]

On 9/14/2018 at 5:30 AM, utilitus said:

Just came across this technical study of Lake, new to me, seemingly dated about a year and a half ago.  The english is a bit tortured, but the data and interpretation seem significant:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319692488_Water_Quality_Index_of_Lake_Chapala_in_Mexico_and_its_potential_risk_to_public_health  

The primary pollution problem for this lake is the Santiago River, known as one of the most polluted in Mexico. It is the main source of inflow into the lake.  The incoming governor of Jalisco has made cleaning up the Santiago a priority.  We shall see.

[mattoleriver]

I believe that the Santiago River starts at Lake Chapala and gets most of its pollution downstream (GDL) of the lake. The Lerma River is the primary source of the lake and it, too, is polluted.

[cedros]

7 minutes ago, mattoleriver said:

I believe that the Santiago River starts at Lake Chapala and gets most of its pollution downstream (GDL) of the lake. The Lerma River is the primary source of the lake and it, too, is polluted.

You are correct.

[earlyretirement]

9 hours ago, ComputerGuy said:

It's quite something, isn't it. A week ago, you could still walk and park in front of the Old Posada. Now most of that is under water. This is a result of the dams releasing water, though, not because of our rain locally.

Just out of curiosity, what causes/reasons do they have for releasing water through the dam?  Also, I took this photo from one of the parties that I went to of a friend of a friend in Chapala.  He had built a gorgeous modern home right on the water.  I was curious how high the water can get. I assume the water can't get as high as the house as his yard was VERY big.  But is flooding ever an issue for those homes right there on the water?

[ComputerGuy]

Water is released to ease the situation, to provide water for farming, and to replenish the lake... but only when the dam levels get high enough.

You'd have to judge the height of the wall to determine if it will breach, and look at the history of each place. For example, right now it is over the old retaining wall at the malecon in Ajijic, but they built a new wall several feet higher. The park there was under water in 2008, and that's pretty high up.

But old timers will tell you about  the days when all of Riberas was under water, almost right up to where the carretera is now.

[gringohombre]

My first visit here umpteen years ago I saw the then abandoned old railroad station under a few feet of water. Up and down, the world goes around.

[gringal]

As of this morning, the parking lot next to the pier on the Ajijic Malecon is almost entirely engulfed by water.  It's going to be rough going for the restaurants on the front row while this exists.

 

[ComputerGuy]

Here's a few photos from '08 showing the park in Ajijic, how it looked flooded, and how it was in front of the old Yves' restaurant beside the Old Posada... as well as receding in front of the old Posada...

[johanson]

Thanks for sharing those pictures, Mike. It brings back great memories. I'm up north for a few weeks and can hardly wait to get back to see how we are doing this year. I often park just east of that first picture when going to the LCS for our weekly computer  club get-togethers.

[lakeside7]

1 minute ago, johanson said:

Thanks for sharing those pictures, Mike. It brings back great memories. I'm up north for a few weeks and can hardly wait to get back to see how we are doing this year. I often park just east of that first picture when going to the LCS for our weekly computer  club get-togethers.

How  is the $15 minimum wage working  in Seattle,  did the sky fall in

[johanson]

It is so expensive to live up here, that the minimum wage is impossible live on unless you are working 60 or more hours per week.           Now let's get back to the lake level.  

[ajijiccharlie]

The dams are opened every year. The lake is at 70%, maybe a bit more. 100% takes it way up. 

 

[earlyretirement]

Wow.  Thanks for posting the photos as it gives good perspective.  Just how far will the water go up towards those restaurants? Where it's flooded looks like where I usually park when I go into town.  Do those restaurants there ever get flooding into their businesses?

[gringal]

6 hours ago, earlyretirement said:

Wow.  Thanks for posting the photos as it gives good perspective.  Just how far will the water go up towards those restaurants? Where it's flooded looks like where I usually park when I go into town.  Do those restaurants there ever get flooding into their businesses?

On TOB, one old timer reported that there was a point  where it not only flooded the Old Posada, but the water was half way up the bar.  There were still drinkers hanging in there!😉

Anyone here remember that?  Pictures?

[geeser]

22 hours ago, ComputerGuy said:

Here's a few photos from '08 showing the park in Ajijic, how it looked flooded, and how it was in front of the old Yves' restaurant beside the Old Posada... as well as receding in front of the old Posada...

On weekends by Madero st if you turn right at the light toward the lake from Hidalgo in Chapala, on the right across from the big old church a man sets up to sell old photos to the tourist. Stop and Browse the photos and you'll find photos of the lake up in the Residence (now Los Cazadores) and in the old Hotel Nilo (now city hall). the water is deep and must extend far into Chapala.

[barrbower]

I don't have any photos but when I lived here 46 years ago the water rose up to almost the bottom of the windows of the Posada and the lakeside entrance, between the old restaurant and the bar, was bricked up over half way to prevent water from coming into the buildings.  All patrons had to enter from the street side hotel entrance and pass through the grounds to get back to the bar.  I remember sitting near a window and we'd have waves come up onto the window glass and a little water would splash through the gaps onto the table.  The lake came up almost to 16th of Sept.  Everything where the malecon, pier, and park are now would have been under water.  So be careful when you wish the lake would fill up!  Alan