Southern Mexico residents restore Agua Azul waterfalls

MEXICO CITY – Local residents and authorities in southern Mexico have restored the water flow to a series of crystalline pools and waterfalls known as Agua Azul.

The flow of pristine water had been interrupted by a Sept. 19 magnitude-7.1 quake and a Sept. 7 temblor with a magnitude of 8.1.

The quakes had altered a branch in the river in Chiapas state, sending more water to a less-visited channel.

Local residents built a temporary wall of sandbags and cleaned out a channel to restore the previous distribution.

The federal Environment Department said the falls had been restored 100 per cent and said a more permanent retaining wall would be constructed behind the sandbags.

The water’s purity and the characteristics of the riverbed give the pools a distinctive turquoise colour.