Lago de Texcoco Advances as a Major Restoration Project

President Claudia Sheinbaum visited the Lago de Texcoco Ecological Park in the State of Mexico to oversee progress on the environmental project. Accompanied by Delfina Gómez, Governor, State of Mexico, the president recalled that this area is now being consolidated as a protected natural area that provides social, environmental, and recreational benefits.

The creation of the Lago de Texcoco Ecological Park was consolidated following the cancellation in 2019 of the New Mexico City International Airport, a project that had been launched in 2015. The decision was based on arguments related to high costs, environmental and financial risks, and land subsidence problems in the area. Starting in 2020, the roughly 14,000ha site began its transformation into a protected natural area, a process that continues to this day through environmental restoration works and the social use of the territory.

The president emphasized that the park is part of an environmental recovery policy aimed at restoring the lake system of the Valley of Mexico, while also strengthening access for residents of the eastern Valley of Mexico to recreational and well-being spaces. In 2025, declared the Year of Indigenous Women, the project also incorporates community participation in the management and care of the land.

Iñaki Echeverría, Director, Lago de Texcoco Ecological Park, explained that the plan to restore the lake was simple but required a great deal of patience, as it was necessary to allow the water basins to recharge naturally. He also noted that large bodies of water had to be divided into smaller ones, greater depth had to be created to prevent evaporation, and the soil needed to be saturated.

“The soil was so dry and hot that the water disappeared immediately. We forced deeper water levels and the cycle began to change: first vegetation, then more humidity, then more life. Today, lagoons of 250 or 300 hectares are reappearing where there was once only dust. This year, for the first time, some of them began to overflow on their own. That shows you the process is already underway,” Echeverría said.

The director added that the project requires an adaptable strategy rather than rigid plans, due to the nature of the terrain. He also noted that the possibility of installing wastewater treatment wetlands is being explored. “If it materializes, we would be talking about the largest treatment wetlands on the planet,” Echeverría said.

The Ecological Park Opens New Spaces for Sports and Recreation

Starting in 2026, the federal government announced that the park’s opening hours will be extended from Tuesday to Sunday, with a permanent offering of recreational activities. The revitalization plan also includes measures to strengthen accessibility and mobility, such as the creation of transportation routes from strategic points in the Valley of Mexico, internal transport to connect the different islands within the park, and improved connectivity with neighboring communities such as San Salvador Atenco and Ecatepec. These actions will help increase public access to the site.

The plan also includes promoting sports and cultural events, including road races, cycling rides, themed marathons, cultural festivals, and large-scale social gatherings. In addition, in coordination with the National Commission for Physical Culture and Sports (CONADE), sports schools will be launched in disciplines such as baseball, basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Likewise, in collaboration with the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas, free workshops on birdwatching, environmental culture, and ecological education will be developed.

In terms of infrastructure, the park offers a wide range of facilities, including soccer, basketball, baseball, American football, fronton, and hockey courts; skating rinks, parkour areas, fully equipped and outdoor gyms, as well as a 37-kilometer perimeter cycling track. It also features picnic areas, birdwatching viewpoints, internal bike paths, labyrinths, and spaces designed for family recreation.