Study Abroad 2025? Apply Now! Scholarship Raffle Info. Click Here!
What can go wrong with 11 University Students
Lazy Days are for Tourists: Students on the Vaca Dam
Saturday morning found 10 of my peers and I floating along a reservoir with jungle closing in on sides, bird calls echoing, and the sun high in a cloudy blue sky. The ramshackle pontoon boat we were welcomed on is owned and run by Ronaldo, a charismatic Belizean, with some help from his family. That day his first mate was Joey, a knowledgeable and quite kind of guy. We were there to learn about the effects of the dam from someone who had firsthand experience, and to see these for ourselves. Ronaldo was a fountain of information about the Macal River before and after the Vaca Dam was built. Some of the effects were apparent simply from looking. This made up only a small part of our day. Over the course of about 5 hours we visited 3 waterfalls, swam, tubed, and climbed in and around the dam.
We first headed up the reservoir to see the river became a dam. Here is where the most obvious differences were apparent. The murky riverbed began to clear up and change to sand and the water began to move faster. Further down the reservoir, the jungle seems as lush as ever, birds still sing and animals still live (and thrive in some cases) in the Vaca Dam site. As we spoke more with Roberto and Joey about the dam, less visible effects were apparent. There are less fish in the river, and those that are left tend to be small with higher mercury levels. The water falls and rapids that made the Macal so inviting for rafters have been swallowed up. The rising water covered a Mayan site. An entire ecosystem was disrupted for a few megawatts of power. These are the unseen sacrifices that allowed us to float around on a pontoon boat for a day.
After these sobering, observations we went on to enjoy what this new dam had to offer as a source of entertainment. We floated down stream to the mouth of a small stream. After a short walk along this stream, path opened up to a clear swimming hole, surrounded by jungle and accentuated by a waterfall. It was straight out of a jungle fantasy novel, without the cheesy love story. Some swam about in warm, blue water, others climbed the rock surrounding the waterfall. We returned to the boat wet and ecstatic.
The second waterfall we visited was by far the most interesting. Water flowed through limestone, collecting minerals. These create calcium deposits that allowed us to climb up the tiers to a few different pools. As we examined the waterfall a little more, we saw leaves that had been trapped in by the calcification process. Entire logs had been calcified, creating the waterfall and the small cave beneath it.
After this excursion, we went to the actual dam. Looking at this structure, one could forget that this is what has cased such massive changes to the Macal River. It is small in comparison to many dams I am used to seeing. While we docked the thought “smaller things have a tendency to make a bigger difference” kept popping up in my mind. Such a small concrete structure in the enormity of nature can result in such a large change.
Guest Author: Izzy Mumm
Bio: I am from Steamboat Springs, a small resort town in Colorado, USA. I have always loved travel and gaining more perspectives to inform my worldview. I am interested in story and its role in history and community. I have come to Belize as a part of a class on community development, organized by Toucan Education Programs.
Share This Post
Recent Post
Helpful Links
Our Programs