Basin Bleu Watershed - Haiti

The Bassin Bleu watershed is 6000 acres of steep hillsides and rough mountainous terrain. The once dense forest was long ago removed and since then much of the topsoil has eroded into the ocean. Deep ravines carve through the valleys as the waters continually gain energy and speed through the watershed. Silting of the ocean shoreline and flooding along populated areas are a result of the diminished water-holding capacity of the hills. 

Although the large volume of water rushing down the watershed comes from farm fields and barren hillsides, 80% of the sediment comes from the ravines themselves as they are torn out by the unimpeded torrents. 30 different sub-watersheds feed the main channel. Each of these contributes to the volume of water and the energy rushing down the stream bed. This division by sub-watersheds allows projects to be completed within a given space, having an immediate effect and benefit to water quality downstream. 

Agricultural practices within the watershed, along the stream beds and in the farm fields are the greatest influence on the quality of water coming down the larger channel. Adjusting practices to conserve soil and stop erosion while increasing rainwater infiltration brings a benefit both to the farmer and to the ecology. Communities downstream benefit from a reduction of floodwaters and damage to property. Villages along the entire watershed gain the benefit of consistent clean water that is stored in the uplands and slowly released after rain events.