Melaque, Jalisco - Mexico - 2007
Even with the new bridge over the highway there was just too much water for the man-made channel to handle. Years ago this whole area was a lagoon and the river that follows highway 80 down from the mountains (named Lazaro Cardenas according to Mari) used to run through Arroyo Seco, Aquacate and behind Jaluco. The engineering and money to control that much water a few times a year probably just won't happen. That could include a control dam up in the mountains that might also work well for crop irrigation
The bottom foto is of the opening of the lagoon which they are forced to do when the level rises enough to flood houses in the area. They use a back-hoe to dig a small channel and the water does the rest. The wave action is a river running into heavy surf. The bay is filthy and won't be safe to swim for a week.
The river crossing the highway directly into downtown
Downtown without getting wet. The center had over 3 feet
A mess of a beach but they always recover in a few months
They opened up the lagoon to the ocean for the second year in a row
Click here for More pictures of the damage done by Tropical Storm Henriette
Video of the opening of Laguna del Tule
