Environment

River Flow Drains into Ground

Stretches of three rivers in the Mexican Gulf state of Veracruz have dried up or had flows significantly reduced since March after sinkholes appeared in their riverbeds.

Farmers in the mountainous community of Tecolotla first noticed the phenomenon after they started to have difficulty irrigating their fields from the Tlacuapa River.

They later found that a sinkhole had reduced the river’s flow by 50 percent at a place called Puente de Piedra, where water was draining underground.

The country’s National Water Commission has been asked to look into the freak geological formations.