Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate infrastructure commission hears calls to dredge reservoirs, prioritizes Lago Dos Bocas
Summary
Agency witnesses told a Senate commission that sedimentation has sharply reduced reservoir storage across Puerto Rico, with Dos Bocas losing roughly 70% capacity; officials outlined multi‑hundred‑million dollar cost estimates, proposed phased and perpetual dredging programs, and said funding and Corps of Engineers permits remain major constraints.
A Senate commission held a public hearing May 12, 2021, on Joint Resolution del Senado No. 32 directing agencies to identify and seek funds to dredge reservoirs across Puerto Rico and to prioritize Lago Dos Bocas. Presenters from the Planning Board and the Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AAA) described severe sedimentation at several reservoirs, outlined cost estimates for restoration, and urged coordinated planning and federal permitting.
Sixto Machado Ríos, director of geology and hydrogeology at the Junta de Planificación, told the commission the resolution asks the Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, the Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales and the Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica to “realizar todas las gestiones y trámites pertinentes para identificar y solicitar los fondos necesarios para ejecutar el dragado de los embalses.” He said post‑Hurricane María data show dramatic capacity losses in key reservoirs — “el embalse de Carraízo había perdido al presente un cincuenta y cinco por ciento de su capacidad; el embalse de Guayabal… ha perdido un sesenta por ciento; el embalse de Dos Bocas ha perdido… un setenta y tres…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
