For this reason, the authorities decided since 2023 to restrict access to Parón Lagoon as a safety measure due to the risk of overflow and rockfall. However, some tourism agencies offered transfer services to the site, disregarding the danger, for which Indecopi has fined them between 2024 and 2025.
Parón Lagoon exceeded its maximum water level in August
El Comercio was able to obtain data from a recent report prepared by an entity indicating that Parón Lagoon recorded, last August, a level of 4,189.69 meters above sea level, above the maximum safety reference level, which is 4,185 meters above sea level.
A source familiar with the Parón Lagoon issue told this newspaper that the problem arose more than 20 years ago, when members of the communities adjacent to the lagoon rejected the operation of Duke Energy Egenor in that area. After that, the company withdrew in 2010, which led the National Water Authority (ANA) to stop measuring the water level because there is no valid water use right.
He emphasized that the regulation system does not operate normally, since approximately 1.3 m³/s flows out of the lagoon, representing about 1,300 liters of water per second. He warned that this amount of water flows continuously but is less than the discharge capacity of up to 8 m³/s that the system had when operating normally. Therefore, according to him, during rainy periods more water enters the lagoon and its level rises.
He specified that currently the Cruz de Mayo community is the one that “de facto manages” the lagoon, as the authorities have preferred to ignore the issue. He recalled that various entities and state bodies, such as the Presidency of the Council of Ministers and the Ministry of the Environment, tried to resolve the social conflict but did not reach any agreement with the citizens of that area. Only ANA technicians are allowed to enter the site to measure the water level.
The source indicated that it is the community members who operate the gates of the lagoon drainage system, but warned that the control equipment is in poor condition due to the many years without maintenance.
He emphasized that some local residents offer tourist rides to visitors who come to the lagoon, despite the authorities’ prohibition, and therefore oppose lowering the water. He also recalled that they rejected the installation of sensors for a system that would alert about possible overflows or mudslides.
Warning that the dam of Parón Lagoon has cracks
A person who has been working for several years in an area of Huascarán National Park warned El Comercio that the dam built at Parón Lagoon has cracks, which become evident when the water level reaches or exceeds its maximum elevation. This situation has occurred because, according to him, the structure has not received maintenance for 17 years.
He warned that, in case of an overflow of Parón Lagoon, the main affected would be the 35,000 inhabitants of the city of Caraz, located downstream of the lagoon.
“The danger is not only due to rockfall or glacier sliding, but also concerns the hydraulic infrastructure that has not been maintained for 17 years; it is a tunnel one and a half kilometers long that drains the lagoon when it reaches the maximum level. There are even cracks. When the level reaches its maximum, water is coming out in some parts outside the lagoon,” he said.
“When there is more precipitation, the maximum reservoir level of the lagoon exceeds the volume of 189,000 cubic meters and reaches up to 196,000, increasing the risk. Due to glacial retreat caused by climate change, what happened in Nepal could happen here. An ice or rockfall falls into the lagoon, generating a wave that breaks the dam,” he added.
He stated that the Cruz de Mayo community does not allow any authority to enter the lagoon and has settled in the camp used by Duke Energy Egenor. There they offer tourists food and boat or kayak rides, but without any safety measures. These activities have been restricted since 2023 after some landslides occurred.
He questioned that the Áncash Regional Government promotes the development of dialogue tables among authorities but without concrete results. In this context, he recalled that despite the restrictions, about 300 visitors come to Parón Lagoon on a weekend, and the number rises to 700 on a long holiday.
He warned that tourism agencies openly and publicly offer trips to Parón Lagoon in city squares due to the permissiveness of the authorities. He also assured that there is no deployment of police or Sernanp personnel to supervise tourists accessing the tourist site.
Community leader denies that Parón Lagoon is in danger
Despite the danger situation reported by the authorities about Parón Lagoon, the president of the Cruz de Mayo community, Miguel Capra, told El Comercio that there is no danger and that the water level is below its minimum elevation.
“The lagoon regulates itself. During the rainy season it does rise, but during the dry season its level only lowers. The rainy season is in February, March, and sometimes April. Currently, there is no danger at Parón Lagoon, there is nothing to worry about,” the leader asserted.
Capra questioned the alerts issued by the authorities about Parón Lagoon, as they impact tourist arrivals. He even said that what happened in Nepal cannot be compared to the situation at Parón. He asked the authorities to train entrepreneurs in tourist service instead of “putting obstacles.”
“The circumstances are very different, as is the territory and geographic location. Regarding Parón Lagoon, people should not be alarmed by saying the lagoon is in danger, since the water level is very low and it is calm,” he stated.
Asked about the community’s refusal to allow the installation of an early warning system for overflow cases, the leader said that authorities must “sensitize” the early warning system project, as there is distrust among the Cruz de Mayo community residents, who fear the dam gates will be reopened.
Capra indicated that the gates of Parón Lagoon are in good condition but acknowledged they have not been maintained. He noted that between 5,500 and 6,000 people live in the community, mostly engaged in livestock and tourism.
About Parón Lagoon
Parón Lagoon is located at an altitude of 4,182 meters above sea level in the Cordillera Blanca, in the Caraz district, Huaylas province. According to Inaigem, it was formed by the natural damming process during the advance period of the Hatunraju glacier, as well as by the melting of the glacial masses of the surrounding snow-capped peaks, such as Huandoy, Pisco, Chacraraju, Garcilaso Pyramid, Paria, Artesonraju, Caraz, and Agujas. It has a 1,157-meter tunnel built under the National Glacial Lake Control Program.
According to the Inaigem study, the greatest danger of Parón Lagoon is that it has steep lateral slopes, with inclines up to 35.6°, which favors a possible landslide. Additionally, its proximity to the covered Hatunraju glacier increases the possibility of ice and/or rock avalanches.
“With a volume of 73,348,526.98 m3 of water (April 2024) and accelerated geomorphological evolution, the lagoon presents a high susceptibility to GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) processes. The dam of this lagoon is of the moraine type (MO), with a downstream slope of 12.8°. Although there is intrusive rock beneath the glacial area, the presence of this material does not exempt it from possible mixed avalanches, given the existence of a covered glacier in the surroundings,” Inaigem indicated.
The towns exposed to a possible violent overflow of the lagoon are those located downstream, such as Cono, Cumpayhuara (Santa Rosa), Caraz, and other settlements along the Llullán River. About 545 homes are exposed to an overflow. In the case of a mudslide, according to the 2020 Inaigem evaluation in Caraz, 22,303 inhabitants, 7,738 homes, and 27 important structures are exposed to this danger.
- South Expressway: Will the construction works of pedestrian bridges interfere with Pope Leo XIV’s mass at the Las Palmas base?
- The unusual map of the 2026 Regional and Municipal Elections: Uncontested candidates would be elected by ‘walkover’ while other districts approach 30 candidates
- Ricardo Vásquez: Candidate for Chorrillos is criminally charged after alleged relationship with a minor is revealed
- Millennial rescue: The community project that recovered the waru waru in Puno and aims for food autonomy
- Government announces state of emergency in 10 districts of Cajamarca due to illegal mining
