The Río Indio reservoir project also envisions creating an island similar to Barro Colorado, which would boost scientific research in the area. In this regard, an expert highlighted that the success of Barro Colorado is due to the lack of intervention across the entire island, thanks to strict controls. According to Vergara, having a research site will help generate data in another area, just as it already happens at Barro Colorado.
"In the lake, there are some hills in that footprint that will eventually become islands once it's filled. These are mountains with interesting and important vegetation," she explained to Panama America.
Karina Vergara, the socio-environmental manager of the project, said that some hills will remain in this body of water and will become islands when the reservoir is filled. Currently, monitoring is underway to determine which species inhabit the zone.
In the case of Barro Colorado, the 1,560-hectare island was formed when engineers dammed the Chagres River in 1914 to create the Gatun Lake. It is also projected, as a compensatory measure, to create a forest around the lake where reforestation can be carried out to protect the area.
"I don't have people living there who one day come in, cut [trees], and four days later have a cow. That's the part we would like to establish," Vergara added.
Furthermore, in April 2026, it is expected that the design of the environmental impact study will begin, which will include a plan for the rescue and relocation of the animal species in the area. According to information from the Smithsonian Institution, collaborations among the more than 400 students and experts who visit it each year generate research projects that help understand one of the world's most complex terrestrial ecosystems.
