Chorro, the Small Canals of Corozal

The Chorro provides a lovely nature trail

Corozal Town is the pride of its people. It is always clean and tidy with many treaures hidden away. One such teasure is the Chorro.

The Chorro is a stream running through Corozal. Some of the Chorro is said to be natural while the rest is man-made for the purpose of drainage.

There are parts of the Chorro that look like they are not even in town. Rather, one would think you are at some nature reserve. It is breath taking and rich with flore and fauna.

Unfortunately, unlike the rest of Corozal, most the Chorro has been neglected by the people and is falling apart.

Plants in the Chorro

The Chorro plants consist mainly of water lillies and aquatic grass. These serve as a nursery for young fish before they venture out into the Corozal Bay.

There is also an abundance of algae which tadpole and snails feed on.

Aquatic grass. Several species of birds come to the Chorro to feed on the succulent fish or nestle in the shady trees along its banks. The Chorro makes an excellent bird watching trail.

Pollution

Over the years the Chorro has deteriorated from a clean running stream - an ideal habitat for fish, toads, birds, and other aquatic life - to a foul smelling, health hazard with sluggish waters clogged with garbage.

The garbage in the Chorro is an eyesore. Despite the efforts of residents living along the Chorro to keep it clean the situation is getting worse.

The public has to stop carelessly throwing trash into the water or else the Chorro will become as bad as (if not worse than) the infamous Belize City canals.

The Chorro is a Health Hazard

The Chorro is severly littered with garbage that the public dumps into it. Water accumitates in these objects and becomes stagnant: an ideal breeding ground for maleria and dengue vectors.

Sewage coming out of a pipe into the Chorro. Sewage is often dumped into the Chorro by residences along its bank.

Because it carries disease causing agents (eg. <i>Vibrio cholera</i> - cholera and hepatitis virus A - infectious hepatitis), the Chorro polluted by sewage poses a threat to public health.

Saving the Chorro

There is still hope for the Chorro. It can be restored to the picturesque stream it once was.

All that is needed to restore the Chorro is a community involvement. Efforts can start with simply fishing the trash out of the Chorro. The next important step is to ensure that the trash stays out - this may be accomplished by simply educating the public on the problem and asking their cooperation in stopping it.

Another important step is to stop people from draining their raw sewage into the Chorro as this is an obvious health hazard.

The benefits of a clean Chorro will be abundant and obvious:

The Chorro will no longer be a health hazard to the public.
The public will no longer be exposed to a smelly, eye sore excuse for a stream but rather a clean, clear, pleasant stream for all to enjoy.
The Chorro will be restored to a safe habitat for fish, toads, birds, and other wild life.
Corozal will be further beautified and remain the cleanest and most beautiful town in the country of Belize.
All the Chorro needs is a little love and care.