It wasn’t a storm. The construction met all the specifications, and neither the cold nor the snow played a role. The waters of Lago Puelo, with their stunning blue that colors many parts of Patagonia, never lost their usual calm… However, and incredibly, the Lago Puelo pier, inaugurated not that long ago in 2013, ended up collapsing recently due to a type of bacteria that literally “ate away” the iron pillars of the bases.
This project, located in a city near the boundary of Chubut and RÃo Negro, was funded by the national government during the second term of CFK. It was enthusiastically inaugurated in the area because it not only added a new attraction for tourists, allowing them to walk quite a distance into the lake, but it also significantly improved the local nautical activity.
Initially, everything seemed perfect. The vibrant blue of the water added to the unique landscape of Patagonia. However, a couple of years later, the first signs that “something was wrong” appeared. During maintenance inspections, the personnel were surprised to find that the iron gabions of the pier were degrading at an alarming and destabilizing rate.
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Urgent studies were then conducted to try to explain what was happening. The research concluded that the unique conditions of the lake, which lies below sea level, harbored a type of bacteria that treated iron as a “feast.” These bacteria degraded the iron at a record pace. By 2017, a part of the walkway was closed for safety reasons, and this past Thursday afternoon, a large portion of the pier collapsed, ending up at the bottom of the lake. Lago Puelo’s average depth is around 180 meters.
The collapse wasn’t without consequences, as some boats were moored to the pier. The collapse dragged one boat under, causing it to sink, while another capsized. Efforts are currently underway, with local and additional assistance from Bariloche, to refloat the sunken boat.
The pier at Lago Puelo in its prime. Bacteria eventually ate away the iron supports. “A natural process”
“It was a natural process. We were all surprised, including the designers, project planners, the construction company, and ourselves,” said the then-mayor of Lago Puelo National Park, Sergio Rusak, when parts of the walkway opened in September 2013 were closed to the public due to the deteriorating bases becoming hazardous.
“All Patagonian lakes have an endemic bacteria that thrives in slow-moving, stagnant waters or in warmer areas. Lago Puelo, being lower than other lakes, harbors more of these microorganisms, which consume iron elements from the environment. Unintentionally, with the construction of the dock, we created a suitable habitat for them, as the water there doesn’t flow and is stagnant. The bacteria thrived, oxidizing the gabions supporting the port’s base.”
“The natural ecosystems of Lago Puelo National Park and the rest of the Andean Region are rich in microbial and genetic diversity. There are bacteria and other microorganisms with taxonomic identities previously unknown, as well as genes that code for the production of novel compounds unknown to science,” added a report from the Regional Center for Scientific and Technological Research and Development, Faculty of Natural Sciences, National University of Patagonia San Juan Bosco. This highlighted the unexpected nature of the outcome. A new project will be needed, ideally avoiding the use of iron…
HB
