Lake Chapala (Spanish: Lago de Chapala) is Mexico's largest freshwater lake.
It is centered around 20°20′N 103°00′W, 45 km southeast of Guadalajara, Jalisco, and stands on the border between the states of Jalisco and Michoacán, at 1,524 meters above sea level. Its approximate dimensions are 80 km from east to west and 18 km from north to south, and it covers a total of some 1100 square km. It is a shallow lake, with a mean depth of 4.5 meters and a maximum of 10.5.
It is fed by the Río Lerma, Río Zula, Río Huaracha, and Río Duero rivers, and drained by the Río Santiago. The lake also contains two small islands.
Lake Chapala is shrinking in size due to over-exploitation of its waters and of the surrounding land. The over-exploitation of this lake has been a result of Guadalajara's growing demand for fresh water. The water level drop has uncovered political issues that had been hidden for many years. Its fast decay has raised concern in the surrounding areas and in the scientific community. It was the Global Nature Fund's "Threatened Lake of the Year" in 2004. In 2004 and 2005, however, there were reports that water levels in Lake Chapala had risen dramatically. This has led to an even bigger problem as there are gigantic 'islands' of seaweed that at times cover most of the lake.
In recent years, because of the benign prevailing climate and attractive scenery, a numerous colony of retirees, including many from the United States and Canada, has established itself on the lake's shore, particularly in the town of Ajijic, Jalisco, located just west of the city of Chapala.
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