Belize

Table IV·3. Stream·flow data for Belizean rivers (GOB 1982il. See Figure IV·7.
STATION (NUMBER)
Double Run ( 1778840 I)
Big Falls Ranch (17588602)
Banana Bank (17388805)
Benque Viejo (17189106)
Cristo Rey (17189108)
Rio On (17089009)
Rio Frio (170890 10)
Freetown Sibun ( 17488403)
Norland Farm (17188604)
Middlesex (17088511)
Melinda ( 17088312)
NATIONAL CA TCHM ENT
AREA (km 2 ) ABOVE
RECORDING STATION
RECORDING
PERIOD
Belize River Watershed:::: 5,874 km 2 in Belize + 3,238 km 2 in Guatemala
Sibun River Watershed
5,708
4,926
4,022
943
1,590
70
19
1,222 km 2
1,059
749
North Stann Creek Watershed :::: 518 km 2
65
256
Sittee River Watershed 474 km 2
Kendall (16888413) 383
Rio Grande Watershed :::: 772 km 2
Big Falls South (16388914) 536
Blue Creek Village (16289015)
Aguacate VilIage (16289116)
Moho River Watershed :::: 927 km 2
Groundwater Resources
168
186
Any rock formation or stratum that will yield water
in sufficient quantity is called an aquifer. The amount of
water an aquifer can hold is determined by its porosity.
Unconsolidated materials such as sand and gravel generally
are more porous than consolidated rocks, such as sandstone
or limestone; however, some consolidated rocks are very
porous. Igneous rocks such as granites, or metamorphic
rocks such as slates generally have very low porosity.
Water that is free to seek its own level in an aquifer is
said to be under water-table conditions. Water that is
confined in an aquifer by an overlying impervious stratum
VI81 - V 82
IV 81 - III 82
IV 81 - V 82
VI 81 - II 82
IV81-1182
I 81 - II 82
181 - II 82
V 81 -IV82
III 81 - III 82
VI 81 - V 82
IV81-V82
V 81 -IV 82
V81-IV82
V 81 -IV 82
V 81 -IV 82
MEAN ANNUAL
DISCHARGE (m 3 Is)
155.4
99.8
95.8
51.8
30.2
2.3
0.1
50.5
35.9
6.9
15.4
13.9
. 24.0
7.8
5.1
is under pressure, providing artesian water when the cap is
breached by driIling or a well. If the water is under enough
pressure the well will flow like a spring. If the pressure is
not great enough to cause the well to flow the water will
still rise above the top of the aquifer; thus artesian wells
hundreds of meters deep may only have to be pumped a
few meters to yield water.
Belize has both water-table aquifers and artesian
aquifers. The generally shallow water-table aquifers are
utilized for water supplies throughout the country, but few
water wells have been drilled deeper than 30 m and very
rarely are they artesian. Oil test holes indicate artesian
aquifers in Belize are usually deeper than 30 m. Assuming
67