Lagunas de Zempoala National Park

Lagunas de Zempoala National Park is a natural protected area in Mexico that consists of a group of seven lagoons. In the Nahuatl language, "Zempoala" means "place of many waters." The park is located between the state of Morelos and the state of Mexico.

Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Map showing the location of Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
Map showing the location of Lagunas de Zempoala National Park
LocationHuitzilac, Morelos / Ocuilan, State of Mexico
Nearest cityMexico City
Coordinates19°03′21″N 99°19′12″W / 19.05587°N 99.3201°W / 19.05587; -99.3201
Area4,790 hectares (11,800 acres)
EstablishedNovember 27, 1936[1]
Governing bodySecretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources

Geography edit

The lagoons of Zempoala are located in a biological corridor named Chichinautzin, between the municipalities of Ocuilan, at the southwestern end of the state of Mexico, and Huitzilac, in the northwestern section of the state of Morelos, 50 km away from Mexico City.[2]

The National Park covers about 4,700 hectares (12,000 acres)[3] and lies at an elevation of about 2,900 meters (9,500 feet) above sea level.[4]

The Park edit

 
Plant life near one of the lakes

The Park consists of seven lagoons: Zempoala, Compila, Tonatihua, Seca, Ocoyotongo, Quila, and Hueyapan[5] which are supplied with water through rain and the rivers descending from the Ajusco and the surrounding mountains.[2] Three of the lagoons (Zempoala, Tonatihua, and Prieta) have water the whole year, and the other four are seasonal.[6]

Flora and fauna edit

The abundant forests surrounding the park include different types of trees such as oaks, cedars, pine trees and firs. In the park there is a possibility of finding a great variety of mammals such as deer,[2] foxes, weasels, rabbits, squirrels, skunks, birds (such as falcons, hummingbirds and sparrows), and amphibians such as the Axolotl.[3]

Decree edit

The Zempoala lagoons were granted the title of national park on November 27, 1936, by President Lázaro Cárdenas,[7] and the decree was modified in May 1947[5] to reduce the park's territory to its current 4,700 hectares.[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "27-11-1936 DECRETO que crea el Parque Nacional "Lagunas de Zempoala"" (PDF). conanp.gob.mx (in Spanish). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2006-05-26. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  2. ^ a b c "Lagunas de Zempoala". ciudadmexico.com.mx. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  3. ^ a b "Information about the Lagunas de Zempoala, "Zempoala Lagoons"". Explorando Mexico. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  4. ^ "Cuernavaca: Las Lagunas de Zempoala". sparks-cuernavaca.blogspot.com. 24 April 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  5. ^ a b "Lagunas de Zempoala". morelosturistico.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  6. ^ "Lagunas de Zempoala". tourist-a.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved 2011-10-04.
  7. ^ "El Parque Nacional Lagunas de Zempoala". chichinautzin.conanp.gob.mx (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2011-10-04.