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Laguna de Catemaco
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Lagoon in English generally describes a body of
water exposed to the sea. In Mexican Spanish
the translation of laguna seems to refer to that
plus the word lake in general. Common usage is
Laguna de Catemaco, though scientific articles
prefer the term Lake Catemaco. (Lago
Catemaco in Spanish) . Laguna Catemaco it is.
The lake is shallow, averaging 7.6 m (25 feet),
with a maximum depth of 22 meters located in
the channel between Isla Agaltepec and the City
of Catemaco. The circulation pattern is clock
wise.
The laguna drains via the Rio Grande de
Catemaco and its water level is controlled by
several dams which replaced a popular
waterfall.
The change in water level is more than can be
explained by evaporation and outflow.
Apparently the laguna sits upon fissures
permitting water to percolate down.
The tropical rainforest that once covered all the
watershed (cuenca) of the lake has been
severely decimated in the last few decades.
Consequently sedimentation has greatly
increased, affecting the clarity of its waters and
if left uncontrolled will possibly fill in the lake in
the far future. If a substantial draught should
ever occur combined with continuous runoff
sedimentation, a name change to the "Catemaco
Mud Flats" might become appropriate.
Prevailing climate is hot and humid with average
temperature of 23.4º C (75 F). Rainfall varies
seasonally with averages of 2,068 mm (81
inches) recorded at Catemaco and 4,614 mm at
Coyame.
Winds from the Gulf of Mexico enter the
Catemaco laguna watershed through an
opening in the surrounding sierra located to the
north of the town of Coyame, and cross the
lake in a NE-SW direction, blowing strongly over
the lake throughout the year. From February to
October, northeast winds are dominant. Colder
and faster northern winds blow from November
to January.
Lake Catemaco has a surface area of 72.54
km2 (28 square miles). Its contour is shaped like
an elliptical parabola and it is almost square with
maximum width and axis of a little more than 10
km (6.2 miles), (10,250 m width and a WSW-ENE
axis of 12,320 m).
It contains about 552 million cubic meters of
water. To you farmers out there, that´s about
420,000 acre feet. The laguna is Mexico´s #18
in size of water bodies, #7 in size of lakes &
lagunas, #3 in size of true lakes.
The shoreline is irregular, with remnants of
several volcanic cones and its perimeter is
about 50 kilometers (31 miles) and would be an
ideal venue for 50K sporting events such as
50K walk, 50K run, 50K bike etc., - if
circumnavigation were possible. At present a
gap in the lake shore road at Tepeyaga
peninsula prohibits this.
There are several volcanic islands within the
lake. One of these islands is stocked with native
Howler monkeys for a University of Veracruz
research project. Other islands contain free
ranging Macaque monkeys originally imported
from Thailand for a now abandoned project.
This has led to more than 70 small boats
(lanchas) scurrying tourists from Catemaco city
across the lake to view these Thai monkeys.
The lake is polymictic (water turns over more
than twice a year), well oxygenated, and
contains excessive nutrients (eutrophic)
because of fertilizer runoff from the neighboring
farms and nursery.
Because of the excessive nutrients, Laguna
Catemaco is one of the more productive lakes in
Mexico, up to 1,800 tons? annually. Large
netting is prohibited to assure the livelihood of
100´s of registered fishermen. A perch like fish
introduced from Africa (Mojarra Tilapia), a
sardine like Topote, and the snail Tegogolo are
the most common catches.
.
water exposed to the sea. In Mexican Spanish
the translation of laguna seems to refer to that
plus the word lake in general. Common usage is
Laguna de Catemaco, though scientific articles
prefer the term Lake Catemaco. (Lago
Catemaco in Spanish) . Laguna Catemaco it is.
The lake is shallow, averaging 7.6 m (25 feet),
with a maximum depth of 22 meters located in
the channel between Isla Agaltepec and the City
of Catemaco. The circulation pattern is clock
wise.
The laguna drains via the Rio Grande de
Catemaco and its water level is controlled by
several dams which replaced a popular
waterfall.
The change in water level is more than can be
explained by evaporation and outflow.
Apparently the laguna sits upon fissures
permitting water to percolate down.
The tropical rainforest that once covered all the
watershed (cuenca) of the lake has been
severely decimated in the last few decades.
Consequently sedimentation has greatly
increased, affecting the clarity of its waters and
if left uncontrolled will possibly fill in the lake in
the far future. If a substantial draught should
ever occur combined with continuous runoff
sedimentation, a name change to the "Catemaco
Mud Flats" might become appropriate.
Prevailing climate is hot and humid with average
temperature of 23.4º C (75 F). Rainfall varies
seasonally with averages of 2,068 mm (81
inches) recorded at Catemaco and 4,614 mm at
Coyame.
Winds from the Gulf of Mexico enter the
Catemaco laguna watershed through an
opening in the surrounding sierra located to the
north of the town of Coyame, and cross the
lake in a NE-SW direction, blowing strongly over
the lake throughout the year. From February to
October, northeast winds are dominant. Colder
and faster northern winds blow from November
to January.
Lake Catemaco has a surface area of 72.54
km2 (28 square miles). Its contour is shaped like
an elliptical parabola and it is almost square with
maximum width and axis of a little more than 10
km (6.2 miles), (10,250 m width and a WSW-ENE
axis of 12,320 m).
It contains about 552 million cubic meters of
water. To you farmers out there, that´s about
420,000 acre feet. The laguna is Mexico´s #18
in size of water bodies, #7 in size of lakes &
lagunas, #3 in size of true lakes.
The shoreline is irregular, with remnants of
several volcanic cones and its perimeter is
about 50 kilometers (31 miles) and would be an
ideal venue for 50K sporting events such as
50K walk, 50K run, 50K bike etc., - if
circumnavigation were possible. At present a
gap in the lake shore road at Tepeyaga
peninsula prohibits this.
There are several volcanic islands within the
lake. One of these islands is stocked with native
Howler monkeys for a University of Veracruz
research project. Other islands contain free
ranging Macaque monkeys originally imported
from Thailand for a now abandoned project.
This has led to more than 70 small boats
(lanchas) scurrying tourists from Catemaco city
across the lake to view these Thai monkeys.
The lake is polymictic (water turns over more
than twice a year), well oxygenated, and
contains excessive nutrients (eutrophic)
because of fertilizer runoff from the neighboring
farms and nursery.
Because of the excessive nutrients, Laguna
Catemaco is one of the more productive lakes in
Mexico, up to 1,800 tons? annually. Large
netting is prohibited to assure the livelihood of
100´s of registered fishermen. A perch like fish
introduced from Africa (Mojarra Tilapia), a
sardine like Topote, and the snail Tegogolo are
the most common catches.
.
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Laguna Catemaco is not a crater lake. It was formed millenia ago, when lava flow
from Volcano San Martin Tuxtla blocked its current northern end, and now the laguna
stands at 1115 feet above sea level.
Laguna Catemaco is located at the center of the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas in south
central Veracruz, east central Mexico, centered on 18.21 N, 95.01 W at the
northernmost limit of the tropical rain forest ecosystem of the American continent.
from Volcano San Martin Tuxtla blocked its current northern end, and now the laguna
stands at 1115 feet above sea level.
Laguna Catemaco is located at the center of the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas in south
central Veracruz, east central Mexico, centered on 18.21 N, 95.01 W at the
northernmost limit of the tropical rain forest ecosystem of the American continent.