The first drying lake in Chile: Causes and recovery options

Rodrigo Valdés-Pineda; Pablo García-Chevesich; Juan B. Valdés; Roberto Pizarro-Tapia

doi:10.3390/w12010290

The first drying lake in Chile: Causes and recovery options

Rodrigo Valdés-Pineda, Pablo García-Chevesich, Juan B. Valdés, Roberto Pizarro-Tapia

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Located southwest of the city of Santiago (Chile), the Aculeo Lagoon used to be an important body of water, providing environmental, social, and economic services to both locals (mostly drinking water and small-scale agricultural irrigation) and tourists who visited the area for fishing, sailing, and other recreational activities. The lagoon dried completely in May of 2018. The phenomenon has been attributed to the current climatic drought. We implemented and calibrated a surface-groundwater model to evaluate the hydrogeologic causes of the lagoon's disappearance, and to develop feasible solutions. The lagoon's recovery requires a series of urgent actions, including environmental education and significant investment in infrastructure to import water. Ultimately, there are two goals: bringing back historic water levels and ensuring the sustainability of water resources at the catchment scale.

Original language	English
Article number	290
Journal	Water (Switzerland)
Volume	12
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/w12010290
State	Published - 1 Jan 2020
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Aculeo lagoon
Chile
Drought
Water demands
Water management
Water scarcity

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.3390/w12010290

Cite this

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title = "The first drying lake in Chile: Causes and recovery options",

abstract = "Located southwest of the city of Santiago (Chile), the Aculeo Lagoon used to be an important body of water, providing environmental, social, and economic services to both locals (mostly drinking water and small-scale agricultural irrigation) and tourists who visited the area for fishing, sailing, and other recreational activities. The lagoon dried completely in May of 2018. The phenomenon has been attributed to the current climatic drought. We implemented and calibrated a surface-groundwater model to evaluate the hydrogeologic causes of the lagoon's disappearance, and to develop feasible solutions. The lagoon's recovery requires a series of urgent actions, including environmental education and significant investment in infrastructure to import water. Ultimately, there are two goals: bringing back historic water levels and ensuring the sustainability of water resources at the catchment scale.",

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T2 - Causes and recovery options

AU - Valdés-Pineda, Rodrigo

AU - García-Chevesich, Pablo

AU - Valdés, Juan B.

AU - Pizarro-Tapia, Roberto

PY - 2020/1/1

Y1 - 2020/1/1

N2 - Located southwest of the city of Santiago (Chile), the Aculeo Lagoon used to be an important body of water, providing environmental, social, and economic services to both locals (mostly drinking water and small-scale agricultural irrigation) and tourists who visited the area for fishing, sailing, and other recreational activities. The lagoon dried completely in May of 2018. The phenomenon has been attributed to the current climatic drought. We implemented and calibrated a surface-groundwater model to evaluate the hydrogeologic causes of the lagoon's disappearance, and to develop feasible solutions. The lagoon's recovery requires a series of urgent actions, including environmental education and significant investment in infrastructure to import water. Ultimately, there are two goals: bringing back historic water levels and ensuring the sustainability of water resources at the catchment scale.

AB - Located southwest of the city of Santiago (Chile), the Aculeo Lagoon used to be an important body of water, providing environmental, social, and economic services to both locals (mostly drinking water and small-scale agricultural irrigation) and tourists who visited the area for fishing, sailing, and other recreational activities. The lagoon dried completely in May of 2018. The phenomenon has been attributed to the current climatic drought. We implemented and calibrated a surface-groundwater model to evaluate the hydrogeologic causes of the lagoon's disappearance, and to develop feasible solutions. The lagoon's recovery requires a series of urgent actions, including environmental education and significant investment in infrastructure to import water. Ultimately, there are two goals: bringing back historic water levels and ensuring the sustainability of water resources at the catchment scale.

KW - Aculeo lagoon

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KW - Drought

KW - Water demands

KW - Water management

KW - Water scarcity

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The first drying lake in Chile: Causes and recovery options

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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