DR1 Daily News - Dominican Republic

The Academy of Sciences of the Dominican Republic (ACRD) issued an urgent environmental alert on Monday, 16 February 2026 warning of severe degradation and toxic cyanobacteria blooms in the Hatillo Dam, the largest freshwater reservoir in the insular Caribbean.

Through its Commission for Natural Resources and Environment, the Academy reported a “drastic change” in water quality and coloration. The reservoir is currently blanketed by a thick, pasty green layer caused by a massive proliferation of Microcystis, a genus of cyanobacteria that poses a direct threat to the ecosystem and the populations relying on the basin.

Located in Cotuí, Sánchez Ramírez province, the Hatillo Dam is a cornerstone of Dominican national security. Sanchez Ramirez is the location of the Barrick Gold mining corporation with its large tailing reservoir. The company is building a second tailing reservoir...