"Again so many things are happening in NW Peru and other parts of the country with torrential rains, swollen rivers, landslides, etc., that it is everyday news but not necessarily in the newspaper front pages. However, TV stations are showing images of a huge lake that has formed in the Sechura desert (Dept. Piura). It is called 'La Niña.' They report that it is approximately 300 kms long x 40 kms wide. In places it is 10 m deep. This would make it the second largest lake after Lake Junín. Speculation says that it will not dry up until sometime in the 1999/2000. Although I do not know of any ornithologist in the area, on TV I have seen flamingos, cormorants (P. brasilianus), shorebirds, and gulls (majority probably L. pipixcan). The gulls are frequenting city dumps in greater numbers than in normal years, probably for lack of adequate food in our now warm ocean waters. As the northern migration should be starting I would suggest that North American ornithologists evaluate populations of all Charadriiformes migrants. Hopefully there is not a reduction in the populations due to lack of proper food in their wintering range.
Part of Lima was recently flooded when a landslides in the lower part of the Rímac valley came down a gulch, and flowed into an aqueduct that promptly clogged up. The aqueduct overflowed and the muddy waters found a highway and streets to flow all the way to nearly the back of the Presidential Palace. Recently more landslides occurred in the lower part of the valley and along with small towns the Universidad de la Cantuta was partly flooded (Km 34 east of Lima).
Cholera seems to be on the increase for lack of potable water. Mud of the floods is drying up in places creating dust which cause respiratory illness, allergies and probably other symptoms. The government is disinfecting flooded areas trying to prevent disease and it is distributing pamphlets on how to avoid or cure conjunctivitis. Due to the huge area affected by El Niño it is impossible cover all areas."--Manuel Plenge <MAPlenge@southernperu.com.pe>