The Caño Cristales, the Colombian rainbow-hued river, is one of Mother Nature's most incredible works. But it risks disappearing
Il Caño Cristales, Colombia's rainbow-hued waterway, is one of Mother Nature's most stunning works. But it risks disappearing
It is considered by many to be the most beautiful river in the world due to its incredible shades that make it seem almost unreal. We are talking about the Crystal Spout (literally "crystal channel"), a watercourse that flows for 100 kilometers in the Serranía de la Macarena, in Colombia.
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Colombians call it "liquid rainbow" or "five-color river". What makes it unique is the colorful color of its waters, which are tinged with yellow, green, blue, black and above all red. This phenomenon is caused by an algae widespread in that area which takes the name of Macarenia Clavigera and which transforms the river into a palette of colors between July and November.
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This wonder of nature, however, today has to deal with two serious threats: the drought affecting this area of Colombia, both due to the climate crisis and the wild deforestation, e the oil industry.
Since last November 22 it is no longer possible to admire the wonderful stream, at least temporarily. In fact, the Cormacarena (Corporación Para El Desarrollo Sostenible del Área Manejo Especial la Macarena), the body that manages the Sierra de La Macarena National Park, has ordered the closure of access to the area where the Caño Cristales flows due to the decrease in flow of the river caused by the dry season.
?Starting tomorrow, November 22, the entrance to Caño Cristales and its attractive Colored Crystals, the Pailones Trail, Cristales Selva and Caño Cristalitos will be closed.
Laguna del Silencio and Raudal Angosturas I will continue to provide ecotourism services in La Macarena pic.twitter.com/nz36Ip7EMb
— Cormacarena (@CORMACARENA) November 21, 2021
As explained by the agency, drought also has a negative impact on Macarenia Clavigera, the aquatic plant responsible for the shades of the rainbow river.
In recent years, drought has been putting a strain on the river's survival and its unique beauty. But, as anticipated, that's not the only major threat. Another comes from the oil industry. This is because oil fields were found near the Caño Cristales and a few years ago the Colombian Environmental Authority (Anla) had granted a license to a US oil company Hupecol to exploit the territory of the Serranía de la Macarena. Fortunately, the project did not go through due to protests from residents and environmentalists. But it is not excluded that in the future economic interests may prevail over the protection of this natural wonder.
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Source: Cormacarena
Read also:
- Caño Cristales: the wonderful rainbow river suffers from drought
