Eduardo Juárez Carrillo, a researcher at the Limnology Institute of the University of Guadalajara’s (UdeG) Center for Biological and Agricultural Sciences, forecasts that Lake Chapala will reach 58% of its capacity if current rainfall patterns continue.
In an interview with UDGTTV (UdeG’s television channel), Juárez Carrillo expressed optimism about the recovery of the lake and the reservoirs that supply water to the state.
“Nine of the 21 reservoirs within the lake system are already at full capacity. Some are even over 121% full, though these are relatively small reservoirs. They are starting to release excess water into their channels. This does not necessarily mean all this water will reach Lake Chapala because downstream reservoirs might capture some of it. However, it’s significant that nine of the 21 reservoirs monitored by CONAGUA (National Water Commission of Mexico) are at full capacity, and another four are close to full. The largest reservoir, Solís in Guanajuato, currently holds about 658 million cubic meters (about 173.5 billion gallons), around 82% of its capacity. This reservoir will soon start releasing water into Lake Chapala,” he told UDGTTV.
According to data from the State Water Commission (CEA), as of August 30, Lake Chapala was at 50.39% of its capacity, equivalent to 3.98 billion cubic meters (1.05 trillion gallons) and an elevation of 94.27 meters (309.6 feet).