Geologist on rising Enriquillo Lake

[NewsWhore]

Geologist Osiris de Leon says that the areas currently being flooded by Lake Enriquillo form part of its historical territory, but as the waters evaporated, local residents used the lands for crops, cattle and housing. "All these lands that people think that the lake has invaded do not belong to humans. They belong to the lake", he added. He said that the situation in Enriquillo as well as in the neighboring Saumatre Lake in Haiti is normal during periods of heavy rains, since in the not-so-distant geological past there was just the one lake. The geologist explained that the springs from Las Barias, Boca de Cachon, Las Marias and Duverge that surround the lake are due to a series of tectonic fault lines and provide 20,000 cubic meters of water per hour. The springs increased their flow as a result of heavy rains during Tropical Storm Noel in October 2007, when 700 mm of water fell in a week, equivalent to18 month's normal rainfall in that region. In addition, as rains continue to fall the Panzo, Barreras, Los Bolos, Penitente, Las Damas and Bermesi rivers provide additional water to the lake as do the subterranean sources, and these are more than the evaporation rate of the lake and therefore the lake is rising. De Leon reminded reporters that in 1979, before Hurricane David and Tropical Storm Frederick, one could walk across the lake to the Isla de Cabritos. He called on the authorities to stop farming and cattle ranching in the area, because the lake will always be going up or down according to the precipitation in the region.

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