In Puerto Vallarta, the rains have generated floods, and these, in turn, have cause road chaos, potholes, and accidents. Not to mention the flooding of shopping centers. But in the basin of the Lerma River, the story is different.
According to the records of the State Water Commission (CEA), the current storm has taken Lake Chapala to 77.5% of its total capacity. The increase is significant because, on July 19, the lake was barely half full with 51.1 percent.
In only 78 days of an atypical and favorable weather pattern, the level of the lake increased almost two meters. That is about 2.5 centimeters daily.
This period of rain has been so good that the lake had not registered a recovery like this since 2008, year in which it grew two meters and 19 centimeters. This is, in fact, the fourth-best increase that has registered since 2000. And the storm is still ongoing.
Since the beginning of 2010, Chapala has struggled to remain at optimal levels, as the lake’s recovery and losses during the dry season have kept it at similar levels: the lake loses one meter and gains just 1.07. The recruitment this year brings it almost to 80 percent.
The current situation is much better than last year, when the registered level was 66.8%, and even more positive than in 2016, when it was at 63.4%. The projections of the Institute of Astronomy and Meteorology (IAM) of the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) at the beginning of June said: this has not been a temporary “rickety” like the one in 2017.
Since then, it was reported that the months of September and October would be quite humid, a condition that has been met. The hurricane season ends in November, so there is still time to set the maximum level of the best weather for Lake Chapala so far this decade.
