Haiti’s canal lowers the flow of the Masacre River

Haiti.- Haiti has completed the connection of the canal designed to divert water from the Massacre River in the city of Juana Méndez. Within a mere 24 hours of its completion, the flow of the river drastically diminished, virtually drying up thereafter.

Leybis Sanders, president of the Masacre River irrigation system, condemned the situation, highlighting its detrimental effects on hundreds of farmers and the surrounding Saladillo lagoon, as well as local wildlife and livestock. Farmers, awakening to the abrupt disappearance of river water, expressed dismay at the timing, as they were just beginning the spring harvest.

Sanders explained that within hours, only stagnant wells remain as remnants of the river, failing to reach agricultural plots. Consequently, the complete disappearance of water is anticipated in the coming days, impacting producers in areas such as Dique Don Pedro, Los Veteranos, Portolatín, El Coco, Sánchez, and Laguna Saladillo, downstream to Manzanillo where the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean.

Concerned landowners and ranchers in the La Vigía community are convening a meeting to address the severity of the situation, fearing dire consequences in the canal area.

In response to the crisis, Leybis Sanders urgently appealed to the authorities of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources (INDRHI) to activate the pumps installed at the defunct “Customs” canal. The new irrigation system along the riverbank near Cesfront remains inactive, awaiting a resolution from Haiti to cease its canal construction activities.