Alberca de los Espinos
| Los Espinos Lake | |
|---|---|
| Alberca de Los Espinos | |
 | |
  Los Espinos Lake  Los Espinos Lake | |
| Coordinates | 19°54′26″N 101°46′04″W / 19.90722°N 101.76778°W |
| Type | Volcanic crater lake |
| Part of | Lerma River basin |
| Surface area | 10.62 hectares (26.2 acres) |
| Max. depth | 29 metres (95 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 1,980 metres (6,500 ft) |
The Alberca de Los Espinos or Alberca de Santa Teresa is a volcanic crater lake that is located in a state protected area that includes 142 hectares within the Mexican state of Michoacán.[1][2]
The body of water is located in the crater of an inactive volcano, whose highest point is located at 2,100 meters above sea level and whose maximum diameter of the crater is 740 meters, which, based on radiocarbon studies, made its last short-term duration monogenetic eruption about 25,000 years ago. The water surface is located at an altitude of 1,980 meters above sea level, has a semi-elliptical shape with a maximum diameter of 350 meters and reaches a maximum depth of 29 meters. Due to its depth, the body of water undergoes thermal stratification, which is why the nutrients of the aquatic bed are resuspended, causing the water to turn brown in cold seasons. Once the suspended nutrients are absorbed by the plankton, they increase their population, turning the water green and blue in warm seasons.[3][4]
In the site, which was declared a protected natural area on March 14, 2003, and a Ramsar Site on February 2, 2009, there are different species of flora, for example: Nogalillo, palo esopeta, flame coral tree, cazahuate, copal, white sapote, ceiba, white capulín, red logwood, chinquapin oak, white oak, bonpland willow, tropical ash, smooth mesquite, ahuehuete, huisache, carricillo, eucalipts, chicastle, nopals, pink grass, wild pistachio, yellow trumpetbush, etc.[5][6]
Within the existing fauna in the protected area there are species such as: Charales, blackfin goodea, bulldog goodeid, yellow shiner, eurasian carp, inca dove, lesser roadrunner, red-tailed hawk, gray fox, hooded skunk, bobcat, gophers, mexican cottontail, common opossum, etc.[5][6]
Since 2005, the site has several places for tourist recreation such as gazebos, viewpoints, paved paths to descend to the lake and restrooms. Access is managed by the town hall of the municipality of Jiménez.[6][7]
Legend
Formerly this lake was a place of worship for Tiripeme Curicaueri, it was also a place where the inhabitants bathed. After the Spanish conquest, the friars used this site to baptize the natives, which caused the anger of Tiripeme, who produced eddies in the water that dragged into its interior the women who were bathing or washing their clothes on the shore. of the water, who later appeared drowned. Fray Jacobo Daciano, after hearing these stories, decided that the only way to put an end to that "demon" was to baptize the pool, so on October 15, 1550, the Franciscan friar climbed to the top of the volcano, raised his cross and He began to sprinkle holy water on the lake, immediately afterwards, from the body of water in the crater, a great whirlpool emerged with a lot of wind and a frightening noise, this being the "demon" that fled frightened. Fray Jacobo followed the ceremony with the phrase "I baptize you with the name of Santa Teresa", so from that date Santa Teresa is celebrated on October 15.[1]
References
- ^ a b Osegueda, Rodrigo (18 September 2020). "Nada en un cráter en Alberca Los Espinos" [Swim in a crater at Alberca Los Espinos] (in Spanish). México Desconocido. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ Bezaury Creel, Juan E.; Ochoa Ochoa, Leticia M.; Torres, Juan Fransisco (2007). "Áreas Naturales Protegidas de México: Estatales, del Distrito Federal y Municipales" [Protected Natural Areas of Mexico: State, Federal District and Municipal] (in Spanish). doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.2232.9045. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Siebe, Claus; Guilbaud, Marie Noëlle; Salinas, Sergio; Chedeville Monzo, Corentin (February 24, 2012). En Arentsen, Kate; Németh, Károly; Smid, Elaine (eds.). "Eruption of Alberca de los Espinos tuff cone causes transgression of Zacapu lake ca. 25,000 yr BP in Michoacán, México". Fourth International Maar Conference (131). Auckland, New Zeeland: Geoscience Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication: 74–75. ISSN 2230-4487. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ Siebe, Claus; Guilbaud, Marie Noëlle; Salinas, Sergio (January 1, 2014). "Hydrogeological setting and stratigraphy of the Alberca de Guadalupe maar volcano at the SE margin of the Zacapu basin, Michoacán, México" (PDF). IAVCEI (5). Berlin, Germany: Springer Science+Business Media: 185–186. ISSN 1432-0819. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ a b Hernández Tovar, Arturo, ed. (March 14, 2013). "Se declara Área Natural Protegida, con el carácter de Zona de Preservación Ecológica, el lugar conocido como "La Alberca de los Espinos", ubicado en el municipio de Jiménez, Michoacán" [The place known as "La Alberca de los Espinos", located in the municipality of Jiménez, Michoacán, is declared a Protected Natural Area, with the character of an Ecological Preservation Zone] (PDF). Periódico Oficial del Gobierno Constitucional del Estado de Michoacán de Ocampo (in Spanish). CXXX (49). Morelia, Mexico. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
- ^ a b c Marín Togo, María Consuelo; Blanco García, Arnulfo (January 21, 2009). "Ficha Informativa de los Humedales de Ramsar (FIR) – Versión 2009-2012" [Ramsar Wetlands Fact Sheet (RFS) 2009-2012 Version] (PDF) (in Spanish). Retrieved March 10, 2022.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Espinoza, Aidé (July 8, 2020). "La Alberca de Los Espinos" [Los Espinos Lake] (in Spanish). El Despertar. Retrieved March 10, 2022.