Boat services suspended as level of Mekong plunges
by Bob_Thompson on Mar.04, 2010, under Indochine, Laos
Having just returned from Laos, it was obvious that all water levels are low. The Nam Song we kayak on was low; Lake Nam Ngum, which is a big body of water, was low and the Nam Lik outside of Vangvieng was unboatable.
Now there are reports that the might Mekong, is at 20 year lows, and apparently no longer navigable.
Although tourist inconvenience is the the least of the problems caused by low water conditions, anyone looking to travel between Chaing Khong, Pak Beng and Luang Prabang should be consulting the internet and reports of whether boats are making it. At a minimum, be prepared to spend an overnight on a beach somewhere in case the boat gets grounded or can’t make it.
It was only a year ago that the Mekong was over its banks. Currently there are massive works in Vientiane to build a containing breakwater. Things can change fast on the river.
There are always reports that China’s mgmt of the river upstream is to blame, but it seems the current condition is simply lack of rain. It rained only once (overnight in Muong Khua) on our recent two weeks in Laos.
Boat services suspended as level of Mekong plunges.
