Cofferdam done, main dam at Chalillo next

And while the Minister of Natural Resources and Zoo Director were all smiles on Saturday, Sharon Matola, who is also the leading opponent of the Chalillo dam, could not have been pleased with developments in the Macal River Valley. BECOL today announced that a thirty-five foot temporary cofferdam has been completed at the site, which will enable construction of the permanent dam to proceed. That project, like its predecessor Mollejon, will be carried out by a Mainland Chinese company. The Chalillo project is scheduled to go on line in January 2005, with the reservoir to begin filling in September 2004. The cofferdam was built by Cisco Construction of Belize City over a six-week period.