Chapala Lake
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CONAGUA publishes the water-quality measurements for Chapala Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Chapala Lake in Mexico has official water-quality measurements, shown as reported. Water clarity: 0.5 m visibility. Phosphorus: 488.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
How Chapala Lake is classified
Chapala Lake in Mexico is published with the authority's own measurements and class. The measurements here are published by the agency that samples the lake, as reported. Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
LakeQuality publishes no grade of its own beside it. Everything below thathas been measured is reported on this page.
Monitoring: the National Water Commission of Mexico (CONAGUA), via UNEP GEMS/Water.
Chapala Lake is a lake in Unknown County, Mexico.
Source: the National Water Commission of Mexico (CONAGUA), via UNEP GEMS/Water — not the EPA Water Quality Portal, last sampled 2021-10-14. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Chapala Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the National Water Commission of Mexico (CONAGUA), via UNEP GEMS/Water and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Chapala Lake
These are the measurements CONAGUA publishes for Chapala Lake. More on the source.
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 488.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 0.5m | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 489µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.2µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 67 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Frequently asked questions about Chapala Lake
Where is Chapala Lake?
- Chapala Lake is a lake in Mexico. This page reports official water-quality measurements, shown as reported.
What is the water quality of Chapala Lake?
- Chapala Lake in Mexico has official water-quality measurements, shown as reported. Water clarity: 0.5 m visibility. Phosphorus: 488.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
Is Chapala Lake safe to swim in?
- Chapala Lake has official nutrient and clarity measurements, not a bacteria swim class and not a safety clearance. Algal blooms, currents, and depth are not covered. Always check local notices before swimming.
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Where this data comes from
75 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2016–2021. Retrieved from UNEP GEMS/Water GFQA (not the EPA Water Quality Portal) on 2026-08-16.
Collected and reported by
- Comisión Nacional del Agua
comisionnacionaldelagua75 samples · —
Analytical methods
- GEMStat OPEN / CC BY 4.0
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
MEX03138MEX03140MEX03141
Authority classifications are shown as the authority published them. See where the data comes from and data sources.