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Phillip Clarke - Chairman of Gracie Rock Village
"What happen is that we have a situation in Gracie Rock, we have a construction company or a quarry company that's washing some stones up river in a place called Bonanza. What happen is that buy the stones and they take the stones and take the water from the river, wash the stones and the after that the water just return back in the river and it creates a white milky stuff that comes in the river and what it does after a while it settles down at the bottom of the river and all the fishes that were supposed to hatch in the dry season, now the eggs are all covered. So I don't know if we will have any fishes coming next dry season."

Monica Bodden reporting
According to the villagers of Gracie Rock, this problem has been occurring for some time now and it has been affecting the livelihood of villagers.

Phillip Clarke - Chairman of Gracie Rock Village
"We are little laid back village, so whatever happens here nobody seems to care. I even mention a while a back Mr. Jules Vasquez did a story and also Mr. Evan X Hyde commented about it in his editorial and nothing seems to be done. I also posts some pictures on Facebook and then I guess it just die like a natural death. But it's been happening before I even became chairman and nothing has been done and now that I am chairman, I've been trying to agitate it so that something be done because it affects us; our livelihood."

We traveled out to the area called Bonanza - the alleged place where the source of the problem is created. It's about 2 hours upstream from the village and a little over 30 minutes by road. No work was in effect on site but the problem is still happening.

Phillip Clarke - Chairman of Gracie Rock Village
"Some people use this water to drink, to bathe, for washing and it affects us a lot and these people don't seems to care. All they seem to be caring about is that they get the stuff washed and to hell with those who lives after them going down the river."

Monica Bodden
"Describe the water to me?"

Phillip Clarke - Chairman of Gracie Rock Village
"It's like you are drinking coffee and you add a lot of milk; it something like that."

Lloyd Belizaire - Villager of Gracie Rock
"Sometimes the residents of the village cannot use the water from the river because it looks green and it affects everyone."

Anthony Jeffers - Resident of Gracie Rock
"Sometimes it affects very much because we need it to wash and to drink and the color of it, you can't do anything."

Carlton Young - Riverside Orchard
"We can't strike any fish in the night because the water is dark and we can't see anything in there. So if you are depending for fish for tea tomorrow, you can't get it."

Orland Peters - Resident of Gracie Rock
"It affects me a lot because the water stays white every day."

Monica Bodden
"Tell us as a resident of the village, how important is the river for you? What's the use of it? What do you need it for?"

Orland Peters - Resident of Gracie Rock
"I drink the water and wash clothes with it - all kinds of things I do with the water."

Known for its emerald green waters - Gracie Rock village attracts many Belizeans for a Sunday swim. Here at Riverside Orchard - Carlton Young who is the owner says that due to the discoloration of the water, his business has been affected drastically.

Carlton Young - Riverside Orchard
"It used to get milky like every day or two. I come late in the evening and early in the morning and it keeps that color, it might only get clear for a little while and it came right back because they are doing some kind of construction work with the stones further up in the river. When the water gets dark you don't know which part of the river is shallow or deep you know. People come out here to have a little fun swim in the river - it's kind of scary for them. Late in the evening, it will stay like that and in the morning it will clear up a little bit and it comes right back 2-3 times for the week, sometimes maybe the whole week."`