Lake Musters is located in the central Patagonian region of the Argentine Republic, south of the province of Chubut , and together with Lake Colhué Huapi forms the terminal phase of the current endorheic basin of the Senguerr River . Both lakes are located in the Valle de Sarmiento .
118-540: Their flow is used to supply drinking water to the towns of Comodoro Rivadavia , Colonia Sarmiento , Rada Tilly and Caleta Olivia . Sport and commercial fishing is also practised in its waters. This large body of water was called ‘ Otrón ’ by the former inhabitants of the Chonik ( Tehuelche ) ethnic group, probably belonging to the Aonikenk (southern Tehuelche). The naturalist and geographer Francisco Pascasio Moreno
236-566: A draft declaration. He presented data to warn of the dramatic situation. It was reported that in 1996 the extension of the lake was 55,312 hectares. In 2016 it only reached 21,431, according to a report prepared by the Environmental Management Group of the INTA Experimental Station, Chubut headquarters. The senator explained that the water deficit is partly due to natural characteristics that cause
354-531: A drilling rig which was looking for water discovered oil instead. The Argentine oil industry started in Comodoro Rivadavia, and was facilitated by the 1886 National Mining Code ( Codigo de Mineria de la Nación ). This code established that the oil fields belonged to the State, and that they could also be exploited by the private sector by concession. In 1922 YPF ( Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales ),
472-623: A dying lake was captured almost dry. In its analysis, the space agency described the Colhué as a very shallow lake to the point of disappearing into a beige and brown landscape. Finally, a series of data was provided, such as the increase in dust deposition on the Antarctic Peninsula correlated with the introduction of sheep to Patagonia around 1935 and the nutritional benefit of dust to marine waters. In 2016 it dried up completely thanks to basin drought and overuse for irrigation (that of
590-452: A few decades were incorporated into the western way of life. The old way of life became extinct within a few years. In a report written by the German explorer Wilhelm Vallentin, during his tour of the region in 1904 and 1905. He described it as a lake about 50 kilometres long and just over 20 kilometres wide. It had been completely dry in former times. In an essay on Sarmiento's colony in
708-461: A former railway station town located in the southeast of the Sarmiento valley. The Colhué in the 1970s was a great place for sport fishing and also for commercial fishing, the fishermen who sold in the village took their livelihood from the Colhué. The lake gradually lost its commercial fishing, which used boats. The economic activity originated by fishing became important despite the fact that it
826-583: A fruit production establishment for export belonging to the Bulgheroni family (known for its majority stake in the company Bridas and for controlling, together with British Petroleum , the oil company Pan American Energy (PAE), the main oil company in Chubut). By March 2017, the IPA decided not to fine or take action against anyone, and even refused to verify the existence of the illegal embankments. Faced with
944-475: A large amount of zooplankton of a significant size (among the largest of the Argentinean lakes). This contributed to the abundance of food for perch and silversides, which in turn prevented them from preying on each other. In the 1990s the lake could be seen to be moving further and further away. When the drought hit in the 2000s, the nearby ranches were gradually covered with sand from the lake, depopulating
1062-467: A letter that he had obtained from the Tehuelche Indians, some precious data about the famous lemisch . The scientist affirmed its veracity since he had seen in the possession of an Indian, a piece of lemisch leather, in which the small bones are embedded. These were sent to Florentino Ameghino and were found to resemble fossilised pieces of Mylodon remains. Until the 20th century, before
1180-493: A result of several human interventions in this basin, intake works have been carried out to feed drinking water aqueducts from Lake Musters, and irrigation canalisations and the transfer of large volumes of water from the Senguerr River to the secondary phase exploitation of the numerous oil wells in the region. All this aggravated the already compromised hydrological balance of the system to the limits of quasi-collapse in
1298-423: A very diverse fauna. The lake was in good health with almost its entire surface covered by water from 2004 to 2010. A scientific study by S. Gasso and O. Torres found a series of periods of dust storm activity lasting approximately 2 to 10 years each, with the most dusty years being 1970-1976, 1989-1994, 1996-1997 and 1999-2017. In 2002 the lake farms were active and the lake had not yet completely disappeared. In
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#17327756004281416-773: Is a city in the Patagonian province of Chubut in southern Argentina , located on the San Jorge Gulf , an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean , at the foot of the Chenque Hill . Comodoro Rivadavia is the most important city of the San Jorge Basin , and is the largest city in Chubut as well as the largest city south of the southern 45th parallel . The city is often referred to simply as Comodoro . It
1534-399: Is actually what the wind erupts from the lake bed. As a result, the population suffers constantly from allergy, respiratory and eye problems. Since 12 May 2013, the intense clouds of dust that rise from the lake, pass through the agglomeration of Comodoro Rivadavia and culminate in the San Jorge Gulf have attracted the attention of NASA . In the meantime, by means of its Aqua satellite ,
1652-655: Is commonly diverted to irrigate farms in the south of the Sarmiento valley. This, together with the fact that the asphalt road blocked an old delta that drained into the centre of the Colhué Huapi, contributed to the drying up of the lake. Lake Colhué Huapi has extensive shoreline mudflats, mainly along the entire range of channels and inlets provided by the Falso Senguerr River. It is separated from Lake Musters by an isthmus of land about 12 km wide and 695 m above sea level. Although these two great lakes of
1770-412: Is deeper. Another factor in the success of the fishery is explained by scientific studies that analysed the silt and zooplankton in the lake in the 1980s. The findings led to it being labelled as an oasis of productivity around an arid territory. Being shallow (an average of two metres during the studies), the wind caused the soil to be stirred up, so the water had more nutrients, which in turn generated
1888-514: Is divided into: Centro, Loma and Civico neighbourhood. The Northern Area is divided into: The commercial and industrial activities of the city are the most important in the region. The main activities of the city are: production of chemical products, elaborated concrete, salter, fabrication of industrial houses, shipyard, metallurgical products, refrigerated products, industrial factories, casting, textile industry, blocks and bricks, and cement. The oil production started in Chubut in 1907, when
2006-506: Is essential for the surrounding towns by supplying them with water. Thus, Sarmiento , Rada Tilly , Caleta Olivia and Comodoro Rivadavia are supplied by the same water intake, drinking water treatment plant and aqueduct. The first great aqueduct that connected the lake with the Comodoro Rivadavia Metropolitan Area [ es ] was planned in 1959 in view of the great shortage of vital liquid in
2124-566: Is fed by Andean meltwater regulated at its headwaters by the Fontana [ es ] and La Plata lakes [ es ] . After travelling 350 km from these mountain slopes through the central plateau of the province of Chubut, this river brings an average annual flow of 54 m /s to the entire lower Sarmiento basin. Upon entering this alluvial and eolian plain, the Senguerr subdivides into numerous secondary branches (generally dry) in
2242-421: Is low, though the winter months receive more precipitation than in summer. Comodoro Rivadavia had a population of 182,631 inhabitants in 2010, compared to 135,632 in 2001 and 124,104 in 1991. The city grew by about a third between 2001 and 2010, compared to an increase of 9.2% between 1991 and 2001. The national average was of around 11% in both periods, representing a notable acceleration in population growth for
2360-430: Is of special interest from the point of view of biodiversity conservation, due to the presence of three autochthonous species of fish, the first two in danger of extinction: the toad catfish ( Diplomystres viedmensis mesembrinus ), the puyén ( Galaxias platei ), and the large-mouthed perch ( Percichthys colhuehuapensis ). In addition, its coasts were once covered with thick reed beds that were home to otters and
2478-556: Is one of the southernmost locations in the world to have one. While the city receives just over 250 mm of rain annually, its relatively low evapotranspiration rate causes it to fall under this climate, as opposed to the arid (desert) category. Summer is warm to hot and dry with an average temperature of 19.7 °C (67.5 °F) in January. Winter is mild with an average temperature of 6.8 °C (44.2 °F) in July. Precipitation
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#17327756004282596-658: Is the home of the basketball team Gimnasia y Esgrima (Comodoro Rivadavia) . Other local basketball clubs are Nautico and Federacion Deportiva. The most popular football clubs are CAI (Comisión de Actividades Infantiles), Huracán, which plays in the Argentine Tournament "B" and Club Atlético Jorge Newbery. Comodoro Rivadavia also has a football league in which many teams participate; the principal teams are Jorge Newbery, Huracán and Petroquímica. There are other clubs such as Tiro Federal, Universitario, Ferroviario, Usma, Tiro Federal and Portugues, which are located in
2714-555: Is the most populated in the city. The neighbourhoods are: Jorge Newbery, San Martin, 1311 Viviendas, Cerro Solo, Ñaco, San Cayetano, Francisco Pietrobelli, Las Flores, La Floresta, Máximo Abasolo, Moure, Cordón Forestal, Quirno Costa, Maestro Isidro Quiroga, Juan XIII, San Isidro Labrador, 9 de Julio, 13 de Diciembre, Julio A. Roca, Juan Manuel de Pueyrredon, 30 de Octubre, LU4, Abel Amaya, Industrial, Stella Maris, Ceferino Namuncurá, Jose Fuchs, Balcón del Paraiso, Covipex, Rincón del Diablo, 311 Viviendas and Humberto Beghin. The Downtown area
2832-454: Is water tiger. For the Indians it was a supernatural being of which they were superstitiously terrified, because of its ferocious appearance, its nocturnal habits, its strength and bellowing, and its complete invulnerability to remington shots. Carlos Ameghino , who was travelling through Chubut and Patagonia in search of fossil bones for his brother Florentino, mentioned to the latter in
2950-440: Is why over the years several visitors have drowned because they underestimated the swell and depth. The west east coast is the most developed and has a pier and a poplar grove, ideal for camping. Lake Musters has an abundant aquatic fauna composed mainly of perch ( Percichthys trucha ) and Patagonian silversides ( Odontesthes microlepidotus ). Likewise, as in almost all Patagonian lakes, exotic salmonids have been introduced, and
3068-514: The Bishop is, since 2005, Virginio Domingo Bressanelli . The Cathedral is dedicated to San Juan Bosco , the only cathedral in the world dedicated to the founder of the Salesian Order . It was inaugurated in 1979, although the crypt itself had been dedicated in 1949. Rada Tilly is a beach resort and now suburb 12 km south of Comodoro. The National Museum of Petroleum is located in
3186-568: The Chubut River . This intermittent natural regulating process occurred for the last time in 1939, and since then the Chico River has been a large watercourse practically dry along most of its course. In spite of the extreme turbidity of its waters, the Colhué Huapi has an abundant aquatic fauna composed mainly of perch ( Percichthys trucha ) and Patagonian silverside ( Odontesthes microlepidotus ). Likewise, this unique environment
3304-535: The General Mosconi neighbourhood 3 km north of central Comodoro Rivadavia. It was opened in 1987 by the state-owned oil company YPF . Comodoro Rivadavia is served by General Enrique Mosconi International Airport (Airport Code CRD/SAVC) with daily flights to Buenos Aires and many other Patagonian cities, as it is the main hub of LADE . The urgency to define short routes to transport products from Colonia Sarmiento and bring them to that village created
3422-729: The Lake Musters recovered the level that had dropped by 1.45 m and the Chico River flowed again to reach the Chubut at the Ameghino dam. In recent years, with the authorisation of the Provincial Water Institute of the Province of Chubut (IPA), the waters of the Senguerr River were almost completely diverted by means of clandestine embankments to irrigate fruit crops. This caused the watercourse to dry up:
3540-581: The Patagonian plateau present notorious geo-hydrological differences between them, it is inevitable to study them together, since they are part of the same chained water system. While the Musters is of tectonic origin and has an average depth of 20m, Lake Colhué Huapi is very shallow (2m average), has a very high turbidity in its waters due to a high concentration of suspended sediments, mainly due to wind action, and can be considered an argylotrophic lake due to its level of nutrients and inorganic sediments. In
3658-580: The province of Chubut , and together with Lake Musters forms the terminal phase of the current endorheic basin of the Senguerr River . Both lakes are located in the Sarmiento Basin [ es ] . In March 2017 the lake was almost completely dry, mainly due to the artificial diversion of water from the Senguerr River and, to a lesser extent, to the drought that has been raging since 2000. It lies at an altitude of 310 m a.s.l. and
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3776-613: The 1968 Cuadernos de Historia del Chubut he states: "This lake presented an unknown, because of which it was always surrounded by mystery. What happened to its waters? Did they infiltrate? [...] as soon as the flows of the Senguer diminished, in Lake Colhué Huapi its great downpours began again, leaving enormous sandbanks uncovered". In 1914, the Colhué Huapi station [ es ] was established only 20 km from
3894-406: The Colhué Huapi reached the mouth of the Chico River , whose headwaters are located at the south-eastern end of the lake's flood zone. Thus, through the long course of the Chico River to the northeast, the discharge occasionally reached its mouth at the Chubut River . This intermittent natural regulating process last occurred in 1939, and since then the Chico River has been a dry riverbed. The lake
4012-465: The Colhué Huapi was in 2006 with almost 77,000 hectares. By 2015 it had lost 70% of that area. The situation worsened since 2006 as a work was built to prevent the Senguerr River from flowing into the Falso Senguerr, forcing it to contribute almost all of its flow to Lake Musters and feed the Falso Senguerr with ecological flows to keep it active. In late 2013 a project was announced to regulate
4130-404: The Colhué Huapi, in which there is an increasing decrease of its historical levels, and an accelerated process of retraction and drying up in its periphery. The water balance of the entire basin has been negative for the last seventy years. The current situation could be defined as highly compromised, and constitutes the main environmental threat to maintain the precarious hydro-biological balance of
4248-403: The Falso Senguerr riverbed. The remaining periphery of its shores is higher and drier, providing a safe containment. It is separated from Lake Colhué Huapi by an isthmus of land about 12 km wide and 695 m above sea level. Although these two great lakes of the Patagonian plateau present notorious geo-hydrological differences between them, their joint study is unavoidable, since they are part of
4366-602: The First A League of Comodoro Rivadavia. Land yachting has become very popular in the city and the beaches of Rada Tilly , together with the windy climate, are ideal to practise the sport. The World Championship of Landyachting was held in 2008 in Rada Tilly . Lake Colhu%C3%A9 Huapi Colhué Huapi is an intermittent lake located in the central Patagonian region of the Argentine Republic , south of
4484-701: The Negra and Bava peninsulas. Its size is relatively shallow and of homogeneous depth. Along its eastern shore it connects with the La Flecha lagoon: low, elongated and with blurred edges, as compromised as its sister lakes by drought. The lake has two different sectors: the western one, very close to Sarmiento, and the eastern one, next to National Route 40. Both sectors have beaches that attract bathers, water sportsmen and campers from Sarmiento and neighbouring towns. However, both sectors have respectable depths and are susceptible to generate big waves during wind storms. That
4602-645: The Portuguese army at the Rio Plata . The settlement was renamed Comodoro Rivadavia on February 23, 1901 by decree of the national government, in homage to the illustrious marine, grandson of the great statesman and first Argentine president, Bernardino Rivadavia . In 1903 six hundred Afrikaner families arrived in Argentina following the loss of the Second Boer War and were given farming land in
4720-528: The River Senguer is the Cerro Negro ditch. It also forms meanders and lagoons, but reaches Lake Colhué Huapi only during extraordinary floods. Lake Musters has a flat and marshy southern shore. In this sector, its waters are conditionally contained by a barrier of rocks and sand up to 3m high, formed by waves and wind action. This does not prevent part of the water from seeping out, mainly towards
4838-580: The Senguer River and its tributaries). The problem became nationally known, due to the discovery of a missing plane in the dry riverbed in 1964. In the same period its two tributaries were dry: the Falso Senguer and the Zanjón del Cerro Negro (which is an arm of the Senguer and drains into the southern shore of the lake). Faced with this situation, Alfredo H. Luenzo , then national senator, made
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4956-422: The aqueducts and the wastefulness of the cities with the illegal activities on the Senguer River by farmers. As of March 2017, the institute had not fined or taken action against anyone, and even refused to verify the illegal channels in person. Faced with the prospect of imminent drought, the residents of Sarmiento, alarmed by the drop in water levels, gathered in marches and demanded measures. Political inaction led
5074-471: The area has been turning its attention to wind power . Windmills on Cerro Chenque and surrounding hills comprise South America 's largest wind farm and provide 20% of Comodoro's energy needs. Comodoro Rivadavia features a cold semi-desert climate ( BSk ) according to the Köppen climate classification , and it has a subtropical climate — all 12 monthly means >6°C as per John Griffiths — and
5192-438: The area there were several rural boliche alleys, which no longer exist. When the lake was in full flow, its waters could flood the provincial route 24. The image of the lake was gloomy with dark waters and several islets a short distance from the shore. Due to its large surface area and shallow depth, Lake Colhué Huapi is naturally subject to a severe evaporation process, both by wind and solar radiation . In addition, and as
5310-463: The area. By March 2017, the gradual disappearance of Lake Musters due to evaporation had reached 200,000 cubic metres per hour. Faced with the seriousness of the environmental situation, the Provincial Water Institute belatedly decided to close the illegal intakes of the Senguerr in order to restore the levels of the lake that supplies the Patagonian populations. The solution to the problem was to be
5428-425: The area. Fishing, which had flourished in the 1970s, continued towards the end of the 1990s with exports to other cities in the region. It ceased to be received because the fish tasted muddy due to the continuous lowering of the lake. Thus, the modern fishing that began among the settlers shortly after arriving and settling on its banks and nearby came to an end. However, it left numerous traces of its activity all along
5546-465: The arid conditions that persist today, with certain variables, have been maintained from the last 5,000 - 6,000 years to the present. The lake area was inhabited by aborigines throughout time. Because of this continuous presence, there are material records of hunter-gatherer peoples. Their presence was recorded in chenques (tombs), rock art and elements of their daily life. The lake enjoyed human preference over neighbouring Lake Musters , as evidenced by
5664-462: The beginning of the same decade twenty wells were drilled. Between 1977 and 1986, 100 million m oil were drilled from San Jorge gulf, in the meantime the oil reserves reached 40 million m ; in 1979 the San Jorge gulf production reached 10,124,022 m of oil. Until 2001, 5,300 wells were drilled, of which 3,000 were economically productive. As a result of the exploratory activities developed during
5782-537: The call for tenders for the closure of the Fontana to regulate the Senguer River, a work that would guarantee the management of the basin. At the same time, INTA took matters into its own hands due to the seriousness of the situation and flew over the lake area. This allowed a report to be drawn up which concluded that the situation was worrying and urgent. On 27 March, the Sarmiento IPA managed to re-establish
5900-477: The central Patagonian plateau [ es ] . Its only tributary is the Senguerr River , which in turn is fed by Andean meltwater regulated at its headwaters by the Lake Fontana [ es ] and Lake La Plata [ es ] . After travelling 350 km from these mountain slopes through the central plateau of the province of Chubut , this river brings an average annual flow of 54 m/s to
6018-477: The century, the remaining reserves reach 182.017 million m of oil. San Jorge gulf is the leader in oil extraction. 46,000 m per day are extracted in the zone, representing 46% of total crude oil production in the nation. Comodoro Rivadavia is situated in the south of Argentina in the province of Chubut, on the coast of San Jorge Gulf. It was necessary to create a port in the area of San Jorge Gulf in order to have shorter routes for transporting products from and to
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#17327756004286136-606: The chiefs Orkeke [ es ] and Casimiro Biguá in parleys with Mapuche tribes. Two years later, Musters published a travelogue in London called Life among the Patagonians , in which he depicted the feared Patagonian Indians as friendly beings with whom one could live in their tolderías and cordially share a months-long journey. In Moreno's words, this body of water is ...an interesting lake which has not been named by those who have visited it ...and I have given it
6254-586: The city in comparison to Argentina. The city size places Comodoro Rivadavia as the 20th largest city of the country and the largest in South Patagonia , which goes from Chubut to Tierra del Fuego . Comodoro Rivadavia is the biggest city to the south of the Colorado River. The city developed from the oil camps which evolved into neighbourhoods. The city is divided into three main areas: North Area, South Area and Downtown Area. The South Area
6372-749: The construction of the first storage shed on June 26 in the place indicated years before by a Schinus molle trunk. Commodore Rivadavia became the first Argentine marine to anchor his corvette in Rada Tilly in March 1891, while he was reconnoitering the area to control the displacement of the Chilean Army in the Argentine south. The village was named after the Spanish marine Francisco Everardo Tilly y Paredes, who during 1794 and 1795 gave combat and defeated
6490-452: The course of the Senguer river, so that it could supply Lake Musters. It was discovered that it had been diverted by the fake Senguer to irrigate fields in the area. Because of this diversion by the landowners, practically no water entered the lake, as 20,000 cubic metres per hour were diverted, almost the normal flow for this time of the year. In October 2021, the lake registered a more accelerated low water level than in previous periods. This
6608-425: The crew. Although the bodies were quickly found, the aircraft had never been recovered. Despite having no aboriginal presence for a long time, even in recent years the shores of the lake still provide archaeological remains of the tribes that inhabited the area. Nowadays, the prolonged drought has ruined all the production in the area and closed many of the estancias and boliches that catered to travellers along
6726-457: The current level of Lake Musters). Subsequently, it descended and it is estimated that before 1600 BC the lakes were still connected and the bottom of the lower Sarmiento was almost entirely occupied by water. By 1500 BC the lakes would have reached a similar level to today and separated. Lake Musters occupies a depression structurally originated at the end of the Cretaceous in the middle of
6844-453: The demonstrators to camp in front of the IPA and to dismantle the embankments that divert the river themselves. In 2017, a feasibility study was underway to bring water from Lake Fontana to feed the Senguerr and get the lake back on its feet. By March 2017 the lowering of the lake meant that the aqueduct pipe was visible from the shore. The aqueduct carries water to the water treatment plant and from there supplies drinking water to four towns in
6962-492: The development of the town, further accelerated in the late 1950s by President Arturo Frondizi 's oil campaign to foster the installation of numerous foreign companies. The city evolved around this industry, and even today when this panorama has changed substantially, it is still called the "National Oil Capital." The beach village Rada Tilly was founded on July 24, 1948, and today is an important hub for tourism in Argentina . Oil production has begun to decline in quantity but
7080-572: The discovery due to Argentinian law which decrees that all mineral deposits belong to the state. Therefore, most of the town's Afrikaans settlers moved on to Sarmiento and surrounding regions to set up farms there. The discovery of oil in 1907 boosted economic growth in Comodoro Rivadavia. By the end of 1919, most of the 1719 workers were given accommodation in small metal sheet houses without any heating or electric light with temperatures below zero and winds near 100 km/h. The establishment of Yacimientos Petrolíferos Fiscales (YPF) in 1922 led to
7198-471: The drought of the 2000s. The main factors contributing to the gradual disappearance of the water body are: The evaporation rate of the mirror is 60,000 cubic metres per hour. This means that in two hours the same volume of water that supplies the aqueduct to the cities of Sarmiento, Rada Tilly, Comodoro Rivadavia and Caleta Olivia is lost. In one day, the loss is almost one and a half million cubic metres, while in one year, 550 hectometres evaporate. For 2016, it
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#17327756004287316-415: The embankments took almost all the flow, and hardly any water reached the Colhué Huapi. At the beginning of 2017, a group of self-organised neighbours complained about the environmental deterioration to the IPA, which refused to recognise the seriousness of the problem. According to the neighbours of Sarmiento, the main reason for the drought of the Senguerr River and Lake Colhué Huapi is the diversion made by
7434-417: The entire lower Sarmiento. In the past, this river contributed more water to the Colhué Huapi , but since the construction of the Sarmiento coastal defence, the water flow towards this lake has been modified. Upon entering this alluvial and eolian plain, the Senguerr subdivides into numerous secondary branches (generally dry) in the shape of a fan, oriented towards the northeast. Its main channel flows towards
7552-423: The evaporation process by wind action or solar radiation. In addition, there is a shortage of rainfall and environmental humidity. However, he called for recognition of the serious impact of anthropic actions on these freshwater mirrors, damaging the ecological balance of the area. It is necessary to recognise human responsibility and be aware of the negative consequences of the irrational use of water, contributing to
7670-557: The existence of the Tehuelche people , who lived in the area of Rada Tilly some 9000 years ago. This information was confirmed by Father Brea, who some years ago contributed to this theory with the discovery of utensils and human remains near Rada Tilly. It is widely known that the Tehuelche, who came from the north of Patagonia during the warm summer, used to make camp where Rada Tilly is today. The English navigator Robert FitzRoy
7788-455: The fact that the conditions of the lakes are becoming increasingly extreme, putting at risk the survival of the different species of native flora and fauna, threatening not only the regional economies, but also the health and quality of life of their inhabitants. On 3 November 2016, NASA's Aqua satellite again captured the vast cloud of dust that Colhué releases into the Atlantic. According to
7906-477: The first state-owned oil company in the world, was created by President Hipólito Yrigoyen 's government. This company helped the society by improving the construction of houses, providing new jobs and health care. Engineer Enrique Mosconi was in charge of running the company. By 1933, 1,648 wells had been drilled in Comodoro Rivadavia; 88.9% of them were economically productive. In 1935 the First Oil Law
8024-542: The flow of the Falso Senguer branch, which carries these contributions towards the Lake Colhué Huapi , where the evaporation process is repeated with greater intensity. As a result of several human interventions in this basin, intake works have been carried out to feed drinking water aqueducts from Lake Musters, and irrigation canalisations and transfer of large volumes of water from the Senguer River to
8142-417: The fontinalis or brook trout ( Salvelinus fontinalis ), rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) and, to a lesser extent, brown trout ( Salmo fario ) have become very popular. Both sport and commercial fishing activities are common, as well as salmonid farming for consumption. Commercial fishing catches range around 120 t/year, with silverside accounting for the largest percentage. There are warnings about
8260-419: The form of a fan that runs northeastward. Its main channel flows towards the tectonic trench of Lake Musters, entering it on its southern shore, and, shortly before reaching it, it splits again to also contribute to Lake Colhué Huapi, located a few kilometres to the east. This branch of the river that connects both lakes has been called " Falso Senguerr [ es ] ", and its meandering course passes to
8378-485: The great droughts that left the lake empty, tales of the monster were still heard. The lake was explored by the Rifleros del Chubut [ es ] in 1886. Western civilisation occupied the margins of the lake in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Thus, the colonists settled where other past civilisations had previously developed. The children of the peoples of the past, still present at that time, within
8496-417: The greatest width is 35 to 40 km from northwest to southeast. Despite its large surface area when full, the lake is considered by many to be a giant lagoon because of its shallow depth. In the last 30 years the lake and the whole area around it have been experiencing a period of severe drought. This is a product of evaporation due to natural causes and undoubtedly human action was a factor that contributed to
8614-491: The lake recovered, it grew to such an extent that in parts it covered the old route to Sarmiento. To combat the frequent floods, the inhabitants of the farms dug wells close to the shore. Even in the 1950s, the river that carried its waters to the Chubut River was still flowing and had its last activity. Moreover, by that time the whole area adjacent to the lake had abundant water, farms, fruit trees, trees, plantations, it
8732-453: The lake, which served the homonymous spot. The lake used to be an orchard in the middle of the deserted Patagonian Steppe . The San Bernardo mountain range separates it from the neighbouring Lake Musters and the entire area around it is riddled with hills of low and high altitudes. The landscapes surrounding the lake are also accompanied by ancient extinct volcanoes . The lake is criss-crossed by several peninsulas and headlands. However,
8850-514: The lake. It promoted an agricultural settlement that used the waters of the river that feeds the lake. With the closure of the Comodoro Rivadavia to Colonia Sarmiento Railway in 1977, the village declined rapidly. However, even today it is still a place with agricultural production. At the end of the first half of the 20th century, the lake was already suffering from recurrent low water levels. However, it never dried up completely. When
8968-479: The lands around Comodoro Rivadavia. However, due to a shortage of water, they had to bring water in by ox wagon with the lack of it being a big impediment to the development of the settlement. At the Afrikaners' insistence drilling began in 1907 in an effort to look for water but instead they struck oil. Although much of the oil was discovered on land given to Afrikaans settlers, they could not benefit directly from
9086-481: The large number and variety of archaeological features and indigenous burial sites that have been found there for decades. Recent studies have verified that hunter-gatherer groups practised intensive and continuous fishing since 1500 years ago. It was the Tehuelches who gathered the oldest accounts of the lake. They claimed that its waters were inhabited by a monster known as lemisch (Yemis-che). The translation
9204-430: The late 19th and early 20th centuries clearly show the channels of the Zanjón del Cerro Negro and a kind of delta that drained into the central western shore of the Colhué Huapi, which was obstructed by National Route 26. According to satellite images, the Zanjón del Cerro Negro loses most of its water between kilometres 6 and 23 of its course. Thus, it does not usually drain into the lake despite being 40 kilometres long. It
9322-490: The most prominent is the Grande or Namuncurá peninsula. This peninsula divides the northern part of Colhué Huapi in two. It runs in a straight line from north to south for about 20 kilometres and rises 500 metres above sea level at its highest point and is the most prominent coastal feature in sight from all sides. In terms of size, the Grande peninsula, seen from a distance from the lake shores, appears to be very high and rocky at
9440-496: The name of Lake Musters on my map, in honour of the distinguished traveller who crossed Patagonia from end to end and who well deserves this remembrance. In his homage I hope that those who have seen it for the first time will adopt and keep the name I have allowed myself to apply to it. In the past it formed a primitive lake with its neighbouring lake Colhué Huapi . The former body of water was called Paleolake Sarmiento and its level reached 326 metres above sea level (60 metres above
9558-450: The necessity of a port in the area of San Jorge Gulf . This necessity made possible the foundation of Comodoro Rivadavia, today capital of petroleum in Argentina. The first governor of Gobernación Nacional del Chubut was Colonel Luis Jorge Fontana , who traveled around the whole extension attributed to Chubut commanding a numerous group of Welsh immigrants in 1885. American researcher Junius Bird and Finnish geographer Väinö Auer confirmed
9676-423: The north of the town of Sarmiento (Chubut). The southernmost branch of the Senguerr River is the Cerro Negro ditch. It also forms meanders and lagoons, but reaches Lake Colhué Huapi only during extraordinary floods. Thus in the past the Colhué Huapi was fed by the Senguer in three sections. The first and best known is the Falso Senguer branch, which today is named as the only tributary of the lake. However, maps from
9794-415: The official version is that there has been a lack of snow and rain. However, this version denies the effect of oil companies and ranch canals. The director of the institute also argues that the claims of the self-convened people for the lakes are politically motivated. The Frente para la Victoria and the movement led by Facundo Jones Huala are said to be behind the claims. He also equated the consumption of
9912-409: The oil city and was completed in 1966. Since then, the lake has become very important in providing water to a large population. The water balance of this basin has been negative for the last seventy years. The current situation could be defined as highly compromised, and constitutes the main environmental threat to maintain the precarious hydro-biological balance of the system. The lake is affected by
10030-419: The other hand, Huapi refers to "island". Thus, it can be assumed that the ancient inhabitants of the region called this lake this way in allusion to one of its rocky islands, or because of the clay colour of the water. It may also be a Mapuche expression meaning lake of the brown island . The same name was given to a nearby oil field and to an old Comodoro Rivadavia Railway station [ es ] near
10148-453: The past, the entire Senguerr basin had a natural and intermittent drainage towards the Atlantic slope, as the excessive floods and flows towards the Colhué Huapi reached the mouth of the Chico river, whose headwaters are located at the south-eastern end of the flood zone of this lake. Thus, through the long course of the Chico River to the northeast, the discharge occasionally reached its mouth at
10266-408: The pressure exerted by exotic species (salmonids) on some native minority species, such as the toad catfish ( Diplomystres viedmensis mesembrinus ) and the puyén ( Galaxias platei ), which are currently at risk. Lake Musters is naturally subject to a severe evaporation process, both by wind and solar radiation. In addition, under normal conditions, part of its water volume infiltrates, increasing
10384-550: The repair and building of ships in a roofed space without the weather affecting the activity. The shipyard has three travelling cranes of 8 tons each. Works made in the shipyard include the building of eolic mill towers and oil buoys. The port facilities include: The city also is home to a factory that produces concrete, property of Petroquimica Comodoro Rivadavia S.A. It produces different types of concrete: Standard Portland, Puzolanic, BCA, ARI, bricklaying concrete Caltex, concrete for oil industry. The total production of concrete for
10502-414: The river and lake areas are important dinosaur sites with dinosaur specimens found and dinosaur egg remains. The area includes Cretaceous rocks, about 70 million years old, and a large number of hadrosaur remains. Ten thousand years ago, the Colhué Huapi and the neighbouring lake Musters formed a single lake. As a result, today's Mocha and Chica peninsulas were large islands. The ancient body of water
10620-401: The route that runs along part of the lake shore. The route forks in two: to the west towards the towns of Buen Pasto and Paso de Indios , and the other towards Chico River and Comodoro Rivadavia. Lake Colhué Huapi occupied a shallow depression, presumably originated by wind deflation in an area occupied predominantly by fine clays. Its only indirect tributary is the Senguerr River , which
10738-424: The ruin of all the surrounding estancias, as well as the accumulation of extensive sand dunes that are spread over large distances for kilometres. The size of the sand dunes resulted in the creation of a Sahara -like desert with mounds of sand similar in size and shape to pyramids. The dunes have sand that was at the bottom of the lake as sediment and are moved with every wind, burying everything in their path. Both
10856-413: The same chained water system. The Musters is of tectonic origin. It has an average depth of 15 m, which gives a deep blue appearance to the colouring of its waters. It can be considered a mesotrophic lake, both in terms of nutrient and chlorophyll levels and algal biomass (up to 5.29 g/m). Its waters are clear and its homogeneous perimeter has no notable features, except for a gigantic bay contained between
10974-441: The scientific body, the abundance of fine sediments was large enough to be recorded by satellites. By 2017 the lake had completely disappeared. That year the situation showed that in only three months it had disappeared, after months before it had maintained 30% of its water volume. By the middle of that year a flood revived it for a while. This climatic phenomenon was unprecedented and was not recorded in any record. Thanks to this,
11092-471: The secondary phase exploitation of the numerous oil wells in the region. All this aggravated the already compromised hydraulic balance of the system to the limits of near collapse. There is therefore an increasing decrease in the historical levels of the Lake Musters, and an accelerated process of retraction and drying up in the Colhué Huapi and its periphery. In the past, excessive floods and flows into
11210-479: The shore: boats, old moorings, settlements and some houses. The last fishing activities were carried out in the year 2000 during a great low water. Today, many of its fishermen have moved to the neighbouring lake. In May 2016, a ranch hand discovered a light aircraft that had crashed in 1964 in a swamp at the bottom of the lake, which was dry. The aircraft was carrying four passengers, had departed from Comodoro Rivadavia and crashed into Lake Colhué Huapi, killing all
11328-419: The source of the Falso Senguerr in order to keep Lake Musters at its maximum reserve level. With much of the lake dry in 2011 the wind swept across the lake bed and formed dunes up to 14 m high that move towards the shore and affect all coastal populations on windy days from Camarones to Caleta Olivia in the south. The populations in this strip are covered on windy days in an apparent sort of mist, but this
11446-527: The surrounding region, the largest city of Chubut, and an important export point for a leading Argentine petroleum district. A 1,770 km pipeline conveys natural gas from Comodoro Rivadavia to Buenos Aires . Founded by decree on February 23, 1901, as a port for the inland settlement of Sarmiento , the first settler was Francisco Pietrobelli. Early settlers included Boers escaping British rule in South Africa , as well as Welsh settlers. The town
11564-458: The system. In 2003, the lake showed its last remnants of water 10 kilometres south of the Jerez boliche. The lake began its slow drought since the Falso Senguerr, its main source of nourishment, was severely touched by human hand in recent years, despite its important role as a supplier of water to the Colhué Huapi. An INTA report issued in 2016 indicated that the largest area covered by water in
11682-425: The tectonic trench of Lake Musters, entering it on its southern shore, and shortly before reaching it, it subdivides again and also flows into Lake Colhué Huapi , located a few kilometres to the east. This branch of the river that connects both lakes has been called Falso Senguerr [ es ] , and its meandering course passes to the north of the locality of Colonia Sarmiento . The southernmost branch of
11800-721: The top. However, it consists of a superposition of sand and clay hills no more than 300 metres high in relation to the lake. At its southern end it decreases in height until it culminates in coarse sandy beaches, on which there is a scattering of medium-sized rocks, polished by the earthy wind. Other highlights on the shores of the lake are the Chica peninsula and the Mocha peninsula with its high stone cliffs. The lake used to have many islands, now reduced to sandy, wind-worn hills and two large, flat-roofed cliff islands. Today some of them still have vegetation. The extensive drought has now caused
11918-485: The town of Sarmiento, situated 180 km away from the city of Comodoro Rivadavia. Since 1908, the small and weak port Maciel received passengers and shipments that arrived at the city of Comodoro Rivadavia. It was built of wood and only could support small ships. In 1923, the construction of the port started. In 1926 the construction was stopped, but in 1928 it was resumed. The shipyard has two parallel industrial facilities of 70 meters long and 4 meters wide. This allows
12036-417: The water flow that may be lost if the level of the lake falls below the operational level again. Throughout 2022, the catastrophe could be halted because the snowfall in the mountain range was higher than in 2021. This made it possible to restore the river and the low level that the lake had reached almost up to the gates of the last winter. Part of the solution for the river and lake would be the construction of
12154-436: The water receded, the plain became a lagoon linked to the lake by a channel, before finally becoming an independent lagoon that eventually mutated into the parched plain that we walk across. By the 1960s the area adjacent to the lake had a large amount of sheep production with productive fields. The production was such that the estancia was able to produce cheese for sale in the now extinct Parada km 162 [ es ] ,
12272-487: The watercourse disappearing faster. As the lake suffers the absence of liquid due to the great droughts, it leaves its bottom uncovered; then the winds form dunes that further erode the environment. As a major consequence this wind lashes the entire surrounding rural area and distant points such as the metropolitan area of Comodoro Rivadavia [ es ] on the Argentine Sea . The lake remains dry most of
12390-549: The weir. This work would be the basic solution to regulate the flow of the Senguer River and avoid or reduce the large losses of water due to evaporation. This tool designed to preserve the water of the region was called Presa Nacimiento Río Senguer. The project has a project and the corresponding procedures are being carried out for the national public bidding process, which is currently underway. Comodoro Rivadavia Comodoro Rivadavia ( Spanish pronunciation: [komoˈðoɾo riβaˈðaβja] ), often shortened to Comodoro ,
12508-526: The year 2002 was 228,000 tons. The wind farm of Comodoro Rivadavia has a capacity of 18,820 kW with 26 generators, and is the most important in Latin America. Plans exist to connection it the national energy, which could allow the sale of energy to other regions. The most important sports in the city of Comodoro Rivadavia are basketball, football and car racing, among others such as land yachting , judo, rugby and athletics. Comodoro Rivadavia
12626-478: The year, with the exception of the few wetter months, which together with improvements in water abstraction policies means that the Falso Senguer drains part of its flow into the lake. This causes the fields near the lake to see a small lake intermittently until the summer season. The name of this great water mirror comes from the Mapuche language ( Mapudungun ). The word Colhué means "red or reddish place". On
12744-406: Was a very green place, a place with a lot of vegetation. The 1950s are fundamental for the comparisons of the different levels of the lake over time. The Topographic charts from the 1950s and satellite photos from the early 2000s reveal the change in elevation and the successive recession of the lake. In those years, the Mocha peninsula was connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land. Then, as
12862-490: Was apparently unaware of this original toponym, and on an exploration in the spring of 1876 he stopped at the lower part of the Colhué Huapi and Otrón lakes, which he named Musters in honour of the English sailor and globetrotter, who in 1869 had passed near the place, although without getting to know it, on a long expedition of ten months and 2,700 km. On that adventure, George Chaworth Musters accompanied Tehuelche groups of
12980-553: Was at one time the capital of the Comodoro Rivadavia Territory, which existed from 1943 to 1955. The territory was a part of Chubut before and after its creation, and the city became the capital of the Escalante Department . It had a population of 137,061 at the 2001 census [ INDEC ] , and grew to 182,631 by the 2010 census. Comodoro Rivadavia is a commercial and transportation center for
13098-414: Was called Paleolake Sarmiento and its elevation reached over 326 m.a.s.l. (60 metres above the present level of Lake Musters). Subsequently, it declined and it is estimated that before 1600 BC the lakes were still connected and the bottom of the lower Sarmiento was almost entirely occupied by water. By 1500 BC the lakes would have reached a level similar to the present day and separated. It is believed that
13216-456: Was carried out in a swampy body of water, with murky, shallow waters, which froze during the winter and suffered great drops. The reasons for the success of the fishing activity were due to the fact that the lake was navigable most of the year with simple boats, as it was not very dangerous due to its shallowness. This meant that during windstorms, the lake did not generate the strong swell of its neighbouring Musters, which, despite its smaller size,
13334-411: Was caused by high temperatures and low rainfall, which accelerated the natural evaporation process that occurs both on Lake Musters and on the Senguer River flow. The phenomenon continued to deepen between January and March, bringing the surface of the lake below the normal operating level of one of the intakes of the aqueduct system. This ended up affecting the towns. Thus, the usual seasonal water deficit
13452-495: Was confirmed that the level of Lake Musters dropped two metres and retreated more than ten metres from the shore in a single year. Because of the drop, the lake has very large sandbanks. What used to be the beach was 30 or 40 metres in some places, 20 metres in others, and much more in others. According to the workers of the Sarmiento Provincial Water Institute and its president Gerardo Bulacios,
13570-519: Was exacerbated. As a result, the schedule of cuts applied by the SCPL to replenish the reserves, which is usually applied between November and March, was extended to May and some days in June in 2022. In view of the declared water emergency, in 2022 a palliative work was started, financed with funds provided by the Province. The project consists of the installation of electro-submersible pumps to compensate for
13688-529: Was named in honour of shipping minister Martín Rivadavia , a proponent of the development of Southern Argentina. It has been prosperous since 1907, when a drilling crew searching for water struck oil at a depth of 539 meters. The city is the home of the main faculty of the National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco . Its cathedral is the seat of the Diocese of Comodoro Rivadavia , of which
13806-599: Was passed. It established that the National and provincial States would receive as contribution the 12% of the Gross Product from all oil drilling, which is still in effect. In 1958, Law Number 14,773 was signed by President Arturo Frondizi , establishing that the Government had exclusive ownership over all oil fields. The most important oil fields discovered during the 60's were El Huemul and Piedra Clavada. At
13924-599: Was the first to mention its existence in a navigation chart. On March 10, 1889, Francisco Pietrobelli, accompanied by the Tehuelche man Sainajo and Marcelo Pereira, came to Rada Tilly following FitzRoy's navigation charts in search of an anchoring place to set up a deep-water port where deep-draft ships could stop to supply the flourishing Colonia Sarmiento. The corvette La Argentina , commanded by Commodore Martín Rivadavia , arrived near Mount Chenque in an exploratory mission and settled an anchorage place now called Kilometro 5, Caleta Córdova or Punta Borjas. Pietrobelli completed
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