Laguna de Aculeo

Laguna de Aculeo is as of 2018 a dried-out lake located in the city of Paine, Maipo Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile. It features muddy banks, because the surroundings are not steep.

Laguna de Aculeo
Laguna de Aculeo (January 2009)
Laguna de Aculeo
Location in Chile
LocationMaipo Province, Santiago Metropolitan Region
Coordinates33°50′47″S 70°54′55″W
TypeLagoon
Basin countriesChile
Surface area12 km2 (4.6 sq mi) (2011) 0 km2 (0 sq mi) (2018)
Average depth6 m (20 ft) (2011) 0 m (0 ft) (2018)
SettlementsPaine

History

The average annual rainfall in the region dropped from 350 mm/y in the 1980s to less than half that in the 2010s. In 2011 the lagoon was 12 km2 in size and 6 metres in depth.[1] It disappeared entirely on May 9, 2018. Probable causes include a large influx of tourists, as well as using its waters for avocado cultivation,[1] as well as increased water use by the nearby city of Paine and a longterm drought period since 2010, which is partially due to global warming.[2]

The lagoon obtained its name from the Mapuche term Acum-Leu, meaning "where the river ends".[3][4]

Reclamation

Reclamation projects are promoted to identify solutions for long-term recovery, especially voluntary watershed management agreements that will allow the rational and sustainable use of this resource.

References
  1. Populär sjö borta i Chile – bara öken kvar. Aftonbladet, 23 March 2019 (Swedish)
  2. Satellitenbild der Woche - Verdammt, hier war doch mal ein See!. Spiegel Online, 22 April 2019 (German)
  3. Pérez-Carmona, Daniel (1993). Diccionario mapuche. Antiyal.
  4. "Diccionario Mapuche-Castellano". Archived from the original on 2014-06-30. Retrieved 2019-02-16.


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