The lake is rising

I walk my dog along the beach in Ajijic every morning so I have the opportunity to see the lake level every day. I use the old sand bags left behind from the water taxi business as a gauge. At it lowest level, these bags were half exposed this year which wasn't as low as the last two years. I am happy to report that over the past couple of days the lake has risen to almost cover the bags. Last year the lake didn't start recovering until August. Lets hope they have to open the dams soon.

Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Anyone know how much rain we got last night? I forgot to put my rain gauge out.

According to my pool here in central Ajijic, I would say about 1 1/2 inches although two nights ago we got about 3 inches in a very short period of time. My pond overflowed and the pool almost overflowed.

My gauge showed an inch in L Riberas. Great storm! Hope the lake continues to rise.

The Lake Chapala weather site shows 1.41 inches for today, 8" for the month, and 9.6 inches for the year, which means (obvioously) that in this month of June we have gotten most of our rain so far this year.

New storm on the coast .... formed almost overnight



http://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/eastern-pacific/2014/Tropical-Storm-Elida

Lake level at the boat has gone from mid thigh to crotch deep. My depth guage.

Do any of you swim in the lake? I read it is very polluted and not safe to swim in, I read there are things at the bottom of it that a person can get hurt by so wondered if that is true.

I don't swim in it but a lot of Mexican children do. They also jet ski and water ski out there. Some say it is polluted, others say it is not so much. There is a lot of wildlife living in and on the lake so who knows. At one time the lakeshore was 2 km further out than it is today so there are old fences, poles, etc. under the surface close to the shore. If I were boating or jet skiing out there I would go very far out.

For swimming the Lake is cold - 72 degrees F even in the hottest months. Most northerners would consider this warm enough, southerners won't take a dip in anything less than 82 degrees, preferring 84 - 88. Unheated pools typically run that temperature range for a few months of the year -April to September.

You could wear a tropical weight wet suit, which brings your tolerance, and safety, down to 65 degrees.

There is fine silt/mud in the Lake which gets stirred up near the shore and people think the Lake is muddy - it is not.

I love swimming it's my favorite form of exercise. But I think if I land myself in Lakeside to live out my golden years, I'll go to the pool spa to do my swimming or live where there is a pool. I love swimming in cold water on a day when it's in the high 70's or 80's. I am use to swimming in Maine ocean water in the Summers and at the beaches in Massachusetts, of course it gets really hot in MA in the Summers. Maine not so much! I never swim in the ocean along Oregon coastline, it's extremely cold water and the winds are peircing even on hot days!

If you are checking out Chapala, make sure you visit an area called "The Racquet Club" above San Juan Cosala. The houses there are all fed with a supply of thermal mineral water and there is a large heated pool and clubhouse. It always reminds me of an old John Cheever story "The Swimmer" - which is quite dark, but often true, nonetheless. The character swims his way home using all the neighbor's pools.

http://202.121.96.130/Download/20091207184417_734640623434.pdf

Thanks Chillin! I have seen pictures of the Spa pools. I'll have to make sure it's the one you mention. Isn't there just one big pool Spa at Lakeside, very popular. Seems to me there are hot springs there as well? Could be wrong on that though :)

I love that John Cheever story! I think of it often, as there are so many pools here, and the suburban attitudes resonate. I had not realized it was all that dark a story; seemed realistic to me!

The gentleman (hydraulic engineer) who occasionally gives talks on the lake at LCS' Open Circle about the lake, says it's surprisingly unpolluted because it is shallow and thus well oxygenated. Still, I would imagine there is a lot of inorganic crap in there. And physical hazards too. Still it looks pretty on the surface. But that is what they said of Jodi Arias.

I also heard it has been raining heavily at the east end of the lake. If that end fills up first, we can probably use the slope to go water skiing without a boat.

CHILLIN wrote:If you are checking out Chapala, make sure you visit an area called "The Racquet Club" above San Juan Cosala. The houses there are all fed with a supply of thermal mineral water and there is a large heated pool and clubhouse. It always reminds me of an old John Cheever story "The Swimmer" - which is quite dark, but often true, nonetheless. The character swims his way home using all the neighbor's pools.

http://202.121.96.130/Download/20091207184417_734640623434.pdf

The "character" in the movie was Burt Lancaster, on of his best roles among the many. I would say dark too, as it dealt with mental illness, if I remember correctly, in a strange way.

I imagine there are some septic issues pouring into that lake since I imagine they don't have such strict building laws there compared to here in the States perhaps. I'm just making that assumption because of my impression of some of the differences in various aspects of MX compared to the States for example. The lake is huge though so I wondered if my impression is wrong. Sounds like it's clean enough if children are swimming in it, surely parents wouldn't be letting their babies in dirty polluted water where they could get really ill if it wasn't safe.

I have to prepare you pamarie that any day a local 'character' called Pedro will post a picture of old duffers wading into the Lake on New Year's Day. Keep a bottle of extra strength 'mind bleach' handy 
 

I sail on it regularly. Have to wade out to the boat. I don't swim in it. I wear suit and tightly strapped on sandals. Don't find much to step on except a few abandoned fishing nets. I do have to navigate some spots of sandy silt where my feet will sink at least ankle deep and I have to work my way through it. A little spooky the first time, but the bottom is always under there at some point. During low water periods I "skip" over old fence posts and tops of old shrubs, but not a problem in my boat. I've gotten tangled up in old fish nets, but the trusty leatherman takes care of those quickly. I'd like to find a topo map of the lake bottom at some point, but have not as of yet.

pamarie wrote:I imagine there are some septic issues pouring into that lake since I imagine they don't have such strict building laws there compared to here in the States perhaps. I'm just making that assumption because of my impression of some of the differences in various aspects of MX compared to the States for example.  The lake is huge though so I wondered if my impression is wrong.  Sounds like it's clean enough if children are swimming in it, surely parents wouldn't be letting their babies in dirty polluted water where they could get really ill if it wasn't safe.

I wouldn't recommend swimming in the lake on a regular basis,but it's okay for trolling and other types of fishing..

Wow that's awesome, the lake is big enough with winds to sail on it! I was a sailor at one time, grew up sailing in Southport, Maine as a teen, actually for awhile when married we had a hobie cat which wasn't my idea of sailing but my ex and daughter loved it! Hobie sailing is more like a sport than the tranquility of sailing in a lil turnabout! LOL!

I live in San Juan Cosala and I know for certain - have seen it - that the sewers here over flow and black water goes into the lake. Same think in Jocotopec. So I would never swim near the lake shore - in fact will only swim in pools.

slainte39 wrote:

The "character" in the movie was Burt Lancaster, on of his best roles among the many. I would say dark too, as it dealt with mental illness, if I remember correctly, in a strange way.

He played that role very well,it was an interesting movie.

Got a 16' Hobie here in the states I sail on Lake Hartwell in SC. It has a racing jib on it and will almost fly. I was wondering if there were Hobies there or something similar.