The El Carrizal Dam (in Spanish, Embalse El Carrizal) is a dam on the upper-middle course of the Tunuyán River, in the center-north of the province of Mendoza, Argentina upstream from the city of Rivadavia. Its reservoir measures about 15 by 5 kilometres (9.3 mi × 3.1 mi), and its maximum water level stands at 785.5 metres (2,577 ft) above the sea, covering an area of 34.8 square kilometres (13.4 sq mi). It has a maximum volume of 462 million cubic metres (16.3×10^9 cu ft).[1]

El Carrizal Dam
Spillway and reservoir
El Carrizal Dam is located in Argentina
El Carrizal Dam
Location of El Carrizal Dam in Argentina
CountryArgentina
LocationMendoza
Coordinates33°18′0″S 68°43′15″W / 33.30000°S 68.72083°W / -33.30000; -68.72083
PurposePower, irrigation
StatusOperational
Construction began1965
Opening date1971
Dam and spillways
Type of damEmbankment, earth and rock-fill
ImpoundsTunuyán River
Height46 m (151 ft)
Length2,113 m (6,932 ft)
Width (crest)10 m (33 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity462,000,000 m3 (375,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area34.8 km2 (13.4 sq mi)
Turbines2 x 8.5 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity17 MW
Annual generation83 Mio. kWh

The dam is used to regulate the flow of the Tunuyán River, which comes from glacial sources in the Andes, and to irrigate the otherwise arid region. The reservoir is a tourist attraction and is employed for fishing, windsurfing, sailing, etc., while its shores feature camping sites and other lodging facilities.

The waters of the dam feed a hydroelectric power station, which was built in 1971 and has an installed power generation capacity of 17 megawatts (23,000 hp).[1]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b "Inventario de Presas y Centrales Hidroeléctricas de la República Argentina 2" (PDF). Ministerio de Planificación Federal, Inversión Pública y Servicios. Retrieved 2019-05-12.

References

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