Taiwanese Exploration Team Reaches Remote Mata'an Stream Landslide Lake After Grueling 5-Day Trek

Navigating treacherous terrain, experts assess risks and gather crucial data on a potentially hazardous natural phenomenon.

An arduous five-day expedition has successfully brought an exploration team to the remote landslide lake formed on the Mata'an Stream in Taiwan. The team, comprising nine members from the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, undertook this challenging trek using wilderness exploration methods to reach the site, which had previously caused significant damage downstream in Guangfu Township due to overflow on the 23rd. The lake poses a continued risk of re-formation.

Upon their arrival this afternoon, the team shared accounts of their journey, describing a landscape obscured by dust and smoke, where the sun was barely visible. This critical mission was undertaken due to the lack of accessible routes to the lake. The data collected by the team is intended to serve as a foundational basis for future monitoring, surveys, and engineering planning.

According to the Hualien Branch of the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, continuous monitoring indicates that the landslide lake currently holds approximately 5.9 million tons of water, representing about 6.4% of its capacity when it overflowed. However, concerns remain, with former Minister of the Interior, Li Hong-yuan, warning of the potential for a secondary landslide lake formation. This risk is attributed to the presence of an estimated 250 million tons of sediment in the mountainous region, coupled with the potential impacts of earthquakes and heavy rainfall.