2016 Olympic hopes unfulfilled, Rio's lagoon restoration begins with private concessionaire dredging Barra and Jacarepagua lagoons for 3 years.

Rio de Janeiro's lagoon restoration efforts are finally underway after initial hopes during the 2016 Olympics went unfulfilled. A private concessionaire is working to recover the aquatic ecosystem in Rio's western zone, aiming to remove enough silt and filth from Barra and Jacarepagua lagoons to fill 920 Olympic-size swimming pools. Dredging began in April and is expected to take three years.