AJIJIC VILLAGE HOMES
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2003 was Lake's Bonanza Yearas reported by Dale Hoyt Palfrey (Guadalajara Reporter, January 3-9, 2004) For Lake Chapala and those who have made it a habit to watch its ups and downs, 2003 proved to be a remarkable year in myriad ways, but nothing topped the series of events that made headlines during the month of September. Certainly a major highlight was the approval for Chapala's permanent affiliation with the Global Nature Fund's Living Lakes network announced in September. Recognition by high profile international organizations is expected to turn the world's eyes on Mexico's largest lake, draw interest from financial and corporate sectors that can lead to bankrolling conservation efforts and keep pressure on federal authorities to effectively tackle the region's water management and environmental problems. As for the government angle, the appointment of former Jalisco governor Alberto Cardenas Jimenez as Secretary of the Environment brought renewed promise for jump-starting the languishing Lerma-Chapala Basin Master Plan for Sustainability. The toughest challenge the new SEMARNAT chief will face in 2004 will be convincing the government and farming sector in the thirsty state of Guanajuato to buy into the program. But Mother Nature won out when it came to making big
headlines about Lake Chapala. With torrential rains battering central Mexico
from mid-August into October, the lake underwent an astonishing transformation
the likes of which had not been seen for decades. Chapala's volume more than
tripled between the June low of 1.307 billion cubic meters to the November high
of 4.239 billion cubic meters, a figure that has been maintained through the end
of the year.
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Given that images can
often say more than words and numbers, a more practical way to truly grasp what
has transpired this year is to look at the National Water Commission's chart
tracking Chapala's ups and downs since 1997, or better yet get a first hand view
of the lake itself from any point along its shoreline.