page_title: Water resources management in Jamaica
section_title: Major rivers, lakes & reservoirs
hierarchical_section_title: Water resources management in Jamaica / Water resource base / Major rivers, lakes & reservoirs
caption_attribution_description: English: Wildlife on Black River, Jamaica
context_page_description: The management of Jamaica's freshwater resources is primarily the domain and responsibility of the National Water Commission. The duties of providing service and water infrastructure maintenance for rural communities across Jamaica are shared with the Parish Councils. Where possible efficiencies have been identified, the NWC has outsourced various operations to the private sector.
  Water supplies are adequate to meet the demands of all sectors; however, the supplies are not located close to where most of the population lives. This has created inconsistent delivery of water to the citizens and has fostered new efforts at improving the water delivery systems of Jamaica. Other challenges include the lack of clear communication and effective coordination between the relevant water management institutions, however, efforts are being made here as well to improve on this deficiency.
  Physical water resources in Jamaica consist of ample groundwater captured in both limestone and alluvial aquifers and many important rivers that provide a good source of water for the agriculture communities of the rural highlands and coastal lowlands.
context_section_description: There are two major raw water storage facilities, both located in St. Andrew. The Mona Reservoir, with intakes at the Hope and Yallahs Rivers, has a storage capacity of 3.67 million m³. Hermitage Reservoir with intakes at Ginger River and Wag/Morsham River, has a storage capacity 1.78 million m³.
  Jamaica counts over one hundred rivers and many are still unexplored due to their significant fall from the mountainous regions. For the most part, the rivers are used for irrigation and as a resource for domestic uses. Two important rivers in Jamaica include the Black River and the Rio Minho. The Black river is 53.4 km long and is used for tourism, irrigation, and transporating trees to the Caribbean ports where they are then sent to England. The Rio Minho is the longest river in Jamaica at nearly 93 km with headwaters originating in the geographic center of the country.
caption: The Black River.
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