Presa El Pedregal

Presa El Pedregal is up highway 80 near Lazaro Cardenas and was built to better control flooding downstream, mainly in Melaque. When I was there a few years ago I don't remember the lake being that large. The water level may have been a lot lower but it sounds like that may not all be water. Last summer local residents reminded the Municipality that the lake had never been dredged. I hope this is not another "build it and abandon it" project so common in Mexico. 

Presa El Pedregal - barely open access

I wanted to visit for the first time. In most of the fotos I've seen it didn't look that large but it surprised me. After a few wrong turns and help from the neighbors I found the right road. The turnoff is to your right just after the agricultural stop on highway 80.

So thinking this might be at least public access or even camping or picnicking ... I find a gate (not open but unlocked) and further on a palapa with a few guys sitting around. He asks me why I passed the gate, this was his property. I said I just came up to see the dam and take a few fotos. He didn't ask for money and I didn't feel like asking what his future intentions are, palapa restaurant, camping ???

Anyway ... you can get in but don't expect to feel welcome

Turn left here

The gate and palapa in the background

The dam from below

Presa El Pedregal is a stone dam just NE of Melaque Jalisco off highway 80. It's main purpose to control flood conditions in the agricultural area in the flood plain below.