Cascadas Micos Hydroelectric project

[TomRobey]

Work began in 2006 on an upgrade of the hydroelectric plants at Cascadas Micos.  Both the existing plants divert 1.4 cms. In the dry season only the lower plant is used.  After the upgrade the lower plant will divert 2.7 cms but only the upper plant (which will still divert 1.4 cms) will be used during the dry season.  The upper plant returns the water after the first or second drop of the seven waterfalls in the Cascadas Micos run.

We did learn that the federal government is issuing permits for deep groundwater wells near Tula, Tamulipas.  If these continued to be issued then it could have an affect on the springs that feed the river.

[Whitewater]

Thank you for getting us all up to date information on this, and for getting Juan Ignacio involved in this issue.  I have already seen what the consequences of this look like when the first two drops above the first power plant went dry in January.  Fortunately we got a lot of rain this season, and the river has been running good all season.

Have any of you ever paddled the Salto between the springs and the big waterfall near the top?