Lake Atitlan is in Guatemala. Atitlan is the deepest lake in Central America. Many indegeous people rely on this lake. Recently the water has turned from its clear, blue water to murky, brown scum. The scum on this lake is actually a species of cyanobacteria. Researchers believe that this bacteria is caused by nitrogen and phosphorus, found in fertilizers used to promote crop growth in the lake’s basin. They are working on a solution to help clear the lake.
It is sad that pollution affects even the largest lake in Central America. This lake is used for a lot of things. The indigenous people fish on it, tourists come to visit it, which helps the native people. The people of this area also count on the lake for drinking water, but now they have been warned not to even bathe in this water because it is so contaminated. They say that the cyanobacteria is not the problem, just a symptom of the lack of pollution control in the area. The indegenuous people have taken measures to help clean up the lake. Women spend time everyday to skim of the scum on top of the lake. Children spend time cleaning up the garbage along the beach. There is no long term solution to this problem, yet. I hope they can figure out a way to clean this lake and keep it that way.
http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7091:guatemala-pollution-threatens-lake-atitlans-indigenous-communities&catid=30&Itemid=63
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