Depredation continues at Nizao River

[Dolores]

Despite numerous complaints and the river’s vital role in providing water to over 1.7 million Dominicans, including 40% of Greater Santo Domingo, the Nizao River in the Dominican Republic continues to be severely damaged by indiscriminate sand and gravel extraction.

A delegation from the Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) visited one of the affected areas on World Environment Day (Thursday, 5 June 2025), echoing concerns raised by local leaders and the bishop of Baní, Ocoa, and San Cristóbal. The opposition politicians denounced the ongoing environmental depredation, with heavy machinery altering the river’s course and reducing it to trenches, while authorities remain inactive, as reported in Listin Diario.

The PLD’s environmental manifesto questions the government’s inaction, stating that the Nizao River, which spans over 1,000 square kilometers and irrigates around...

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[CristoRey]

"The PLD's environmental manifesto questions..."
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
SHM.

 

[AlterEgo]

The Nizao River empties into the Caribbean just west of Playa Palenque, we’ve probably passed there hundreds of times. The river hasn’t been much more than a trickle for a very long time, decades maybe. In fact, the bridge/road over it partially collapsed ages ago, and for the longest time we drove partly on the river bed to get to the city of Nizao. I’m not saying what’s going on is right, but I honestly don’t see any difference in the lower river in decades. The truth is that there are trucks from Najayo to Nizao pulling water and gravel from small and large streams along the road almost every day, everyone sees them.

 

[JD Jones]

The Nizao River empties into the Caribbean just west of Playa Palenque, we’ve probably passed there hundreds of times. The river hasn’t been much more than a trickle for a very long time, decades maybe. In fact, the bridge/road over it partially collapsed ages ago, and for the longest time we drove partly on the river bed to get to the city of Nizao. I’m not saying what’s going on is right, but I honestly don’t see any difference in the lower river in decades. The truth is that there are trucks from Najayo to Nizao pulling water and gravel from small and large streams along the road almost every day, everyone sees them.

Not only that, but all of the "work" the river does is much further upstream going through two dams.

I'm not a fan of gravel and sand extraction, but I don't see the correlation between water being supplied and sand extraction, other than it's ugly.