Lake Texcoco

Lake Texcoco occupied the lowest part of the enclosed Basin of Mexico. Its saline waters were connected to the other lakes of the valley, and on an island in the lake the Mexica built Tenochtitlan. Canoes crossed the water between the island city and the surrounding shores, while causeways linked it to the mainland. After the Spanish conquest the draining of the lake began, profoundly changing the landscape of the basin.