Laguna de Sayula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Laguna de Sayula |
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Satellite image of Laguna de Sayula
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 Laguna de Sayula
Location in Jalisco
Laguna de Sayula
Location in Mexico
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| Location | Jalisco, Sayula-Atotonilco river basin |
| Coordinates | 20°05′58.62″N 103°28′31.05″W / 20.0996167°N 103.4752917°W |
| Primary inflows | Local rivers and springs |
| Primary outflows | Natural evaporation |
| Basin countries | Mexico |
| Max. length | 31.17 km (19.37 mi) |
| Surface area | 168 km2 (65 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 2 m (6.6 ft) |
| Max. depth | 8.34 m (27.4 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 1,350 m (4,430 ft) |
| Designated: | 2 February 2004 |
| Reference #: | 1338 |
Laguna de Sayula, also known as "Sayula Lake," is a large lake in the southern part of Jalisco, Mexico. It's about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the big city of Guadalajara. This lake touches several towns, including Sayula, Zacoalco de Torres, Amacueca, Teocuitatlán de Corona, Atoyac, and Techaluta de Montenegro.
Even though the lake's water level has been getting lower since 1993, it's still a very important home for many different kinds of plants and animals.
Contents
Exploring Sayula Lake's Environment
Where is Laguna de Sayula Located?
Laguna de Sayula is part of the Zacoalco-Guzmán water system. It sits right between the Tapalpa Mountains and the Mazamitla Mountains in central Southern Jalisco.
The lake is quite large, covering about 168 square kilometers (65 square miles). It can be up to 8.34 kilometers (5.18 miles) wide and 31.17 kilometers (19.37 miles) long. The lake is about 1,350 meters (4,429 feet) above sea level.
Islands and Depth
Laguna de Sayula has two small islands called Isla Chica ("small island") and Isla Grande ("big island"). Both are oval-shaped and less than 1 square kilometer (0.39 square miles) in size. The lake's shoreline is about 90 kilometers (56 miles) long, and its average depth is around 2 meters (6.6 feet).
The towns of Sayula, Amacueca, Techaluta de Montenegro, and Atoyac are all located around the lake.
Why is Laguna de Sayula Important?
Laguna de Sayula is a special type of natural area called a wetland. Wetlands are places where water plays a big role in shaping the environment, including the plants and animals that live there. This lake is so important that it's recognized by the Ramsar Convention, which is an international agreement to protect important wetlands, especially for birds.
The lakes in this area, including Laguna de Sayula, are part of a unique group of lakes that don't flow out to the ocean. Laguna de Sayula is especially important because it provides a crucial resting and feeding spot for many migratory birds that travel from North America.
Plants that Grow Around the Lake
Because the lake's water is salty, many of the plants growing nearby are able to handle salt. You'll find low-lying plants all around the lake's edges. Inside the lake, there aren't many aquatic plants, except in small areas where the water is fresher. On the hills and islands around the lake, you can find tropical deciduous forests, which are forests where trees lose their leaves during the dry season.
Some of the plants you might see around Laguna de Sayula include:
- Seashore saltgrass (Distichlis spicata and Sporobolus pyramidatus)
- Sea purslane (Sesuvium portulacastrum)
- Seepweeds (Suaeda torreyana)
- Smooth Mesquite (Prosopis laevigata)
- Madras Thorn (Pithecellobium dulce)
- Sweet Acacia (Acacia farnesiana)
- Southern cattail (Typha domingensis)
- Baraima (Bacopa monnieri)
- Fat Duckweed (Lemna gibba)
- Fragrant Bursera (Bursera fagaroides)
- Frangipani (Plumeria rubra)
- Isolatocereus dumortieri (Isolatocereus dumortieri)
- Cheilanthes sinuata (Cheilanthes sinuata)
- Cheilanthes lozanoi (Cheilanthes lozanoi)
- Mammillaria scrippsiana (Mammillaria scrippsiana)
- Ball Moss (Tillandsia recurvata)
- Ficus goldmanii (Ficus goldmanii)
- Ficus insipida (Ficus insipida)
- Ficus padifolia (Ficus padifolia)
Animals that Live Near the Lake
The area around Laguna de Sayula is home to a wide variety of animals. During the winter, it's very common to see many different kinds of birds, such as snow geese (Chen caerulescens), killdeer (Charadrius vociferus), and other shorebirds. You might also spot turtles, eagles, various insects, and hawks living in this rich environment.
See also
In Spanish: Laguna de Sayula para niños
