The Editor, Sir:

I have been following the recent discussions about the damming of the Bog Walk gorge with some ambivalence. There are several points that I can't quite reconcile, which make it difficult for me to form a concrete opinion on the suggestion.

The first concerns its feasibility. The National Road Operating and Constructing Company (NROCC) has said that they are confident that it is. However, I find that, as a geologist, I have to question if that is possible. The objective of this damming would be partly to alleviate flooding but also to supply the Kingston Metropolitan Area with an additional source of potable water.

Highly fractured

However, the geology of the gorge may not co-operate with the latter objective. It is composed of limestone, which is highly fractured, and that punches many holes in its ability to retain water.

I am also concerned about the inter-basin transfers that have become the preferred way of augmenting Kingston's water supply. We already deprive the lower Yallahs valley of millions of cubic metres of water each year and we are now looking to do the same with the lower Rio Cobre area as well. All this is happening when we know that close to half the water that enters the city's distribution system is unaccounted for.

This could be partly because of theft, but we also know that a significant portion is lost to leakage from the distribution network. I would much rather see that reduced before we assault the Rio Cobre ecosystem to put more water into a leaking system.

Loss of access

The other area of concern that I have is the loss of access to one of the most scenic stretch of roadway in the island, easily on par with Fern Gully. The question then is: will the benefits in renewable hydroelectricity, increased public water supply and flood mitigation outweigh the loss of a wonderful part of our natural heritage?

We all have our respective views on the suggestion, but I think that we should continue to have a genuine debate on the issue and so in the end come up with a solution that maximises the benefits to the Jamaican society.

I am, etc.,

RICARDO SMALLING

rsmalling@sympatico.ca

Ontario, Canada