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Guajataca Lake

Man-made lake in northwestern Puerto Rico

Man-made lake in northwestern Puerto Rico

FieldValue
nameGuajataca Lake
native_namees
imageFile:Lago Guajataca - Quebradillas, Puerto Rico - panoramio.jpg
pushpin_mapPuerto Rico
locationSan Sebastián / Quebradillas / Isabela municipalities, Puerto Rico
coords
typeReservoir
agencyPuerto Rico Electric Power Authority
basin_countriesPuerto Rico
date-built1928
date-flooded1928
area1.32 mi2
volume11,000,000,000 USgal

| date-built = 1928 | date-flooded = 1928

| shape-color1=dark blue | shape-outline1=white | mark-coord1 = | mark-title1 = Guajataca Dam | mark-coord2 = | mark-title2 = Refugio de Vida Silvestre del Embalse Guajataca | mark-coord3 = | mark-title3 = Guajataka Scout Reservation | auto-caption=1}}

Guajataca Lake, or Lago Guajataca, is a reservoir of the Guajataca River created by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority in 1929. It is located between the municipalities of San Sebastián, Quebradillas, and Isabela in Puerto Rico, and receives most of its water from the Rio Guajataca and Rio Chiquito de Cibao rivers. The lake primarily functions as a water reservoir as well as for recreational activities such as boating and fishing. Various species of fish such as peacock bass, largemouth bass, sunfish, perch, catfish, tilapia and threadfin shad can be found in the lake. The Guajataka Scout Reservation partially borders the southern portion of the lake. The dam at Guajataca Lake experienced a structural failure on September 22, 2017, due to the hit from Hurricane Maria.

The reservoir is considered a touristic area.

Guajataca Dam

The Guajataca Dam is an earthen dam is currently used for irrigation and potable water purposes. A hydroelectric power station was built, but not longer in use. The reservoir has a normal surface area of 1.321 sqmi, its length is 2.5 mile, its maximum width is 1 mile, the mean depth is 12 m and the maximum depth is 27 m, located near the dam. its maximum discharge is 28,954 cuft per second. Its normal storage capacity is 34050 acre feet, and its drainage basin is 24.58 sqmi.

Dam construction

The construction of the dam was authorized by act 63 of the Legislature of Puerto Rico, known as the "Isabela public irrigation law," approved April 19, 1919.

The dam was constructed starting in 1928. The reservoir had an initial storage capacity of 39,286 acre.ft, but by 1999 (71 years later), the capacity had been reduced to 34,276 acre.ft, as about 13% less, attributed to sediment erosion. The surface area of the reservoir was 3.42 km2 in 1999.

According to the National Inventory of Dams, Guajataca Dam was designed by and is owned by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

Guajataca dam failure risk

On September 22, 2017, at 18:10 GMT, following Hurricane Maria, operators at Guajataca Dam announced that the dam's spillway was failing at the northern end of the lake and it could result in the whole dam collapsing. The National Weather Service a few minutes later urged all 70,000 residents in the flood area to be evacuated. The National Weather Service stated the dam was a "life-threatening situation". "It’s a structural failure. I don’t have any more details," Governor Ricardo Rosselló stated. "We’re trying to evacuate as many people as possible." The dam lies across the Guajataca River to form a reservoir that can hold roughly 11 billion gallons of water.

, the dam was last inspected on October 23, 2013.

The first phase of repairs to avoid the threat of flooding were completed on November 17, 2017. Since then about 10,000 residents, including farmers, who depend on the waters of the reservoir, have been struggling with the rationing of water. There is confusion and little transparency as to how the issue is being handled. Final repairs will be ongoing, until 2028.

References

References

  1. Luis R. Soler-López1. (2001). "SEDIMENTATION SURVEY RESULTS of the Principal Water-Supply Reservoirs of Puerto Rico". [[U.S. Geological Survey]].
  2. [http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/national-international/Dam-Failing-Puerto-Rico-Hurricane-Maria-446870113.html ''Puerto Rico Dam Failing; Flash Flood Emergency Declared: "This is an EXTREMELY DANGEROUS SITUATION," NWS San Juan said in a tweet.''] Asher Klein. NBC10-TV. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 22 September 2017. Access 22 September 2017.
  3. "Lake Guajataca".
  4. "Lago Guajataca".
  5. (July 2015). "Un pasadía en... Lago Guajataca".
  6. "Refugio Vida Silvestre, Embalse Guajataca".
  7. (3 May 2013). "Lago Guajataca".
  8. "Lago Guajataca at Damsite". [[United States Geological Survey]].
  9. (22 September 2017). "Puerto Rico dam: Evacuations begin along Guajataca River". [[CNN News]].
  10. "'Thousands of people could die': 70,000 in Puerto Rico urged to evacuate with dam in 'imminent' danger". [[Washington Post]].
  11. (22 June 2022). "El embalse Guajataca entraría en nivel de ajustes operacionales este jueves o viernes".
  12. "Fotografias de Plantas Hidroelectricas en el 2013".
  13. (2009-01-01). "Phytoplankton dynamics of the Guajataca reservoir, Puerto Rico". Sil Proceedings, 1922-2010.
  14. (January 2010). "National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Phase II, Regulated Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4's) Permit Application Notice of Intent (NOI)". [[U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]]- Region II.
  15. Reily, Emmet Montgomery, Governor of Puerto Rico. (1922). "Annual Report". [[U.S. Government Printing Office]].
  16. (24 September 2017). "Aid reaches Puerto Rico after Maria as threat from cracked dam recedes". [[The Guardian]].
  17. "Guajataca Dam fails in Puerto Rico, prompting "extremely dangerous" situation". [[CBS News]].
  18. (22 September 2017). "Puerto Rico dam failure "imminent" after Hurricane Maria". [[BBC News]].
  19. (22 September 2017). "Puerto Rico evacuates 70,000 after dam fails in Hurricane Maria's wake".
  20. (23 September 2017). "Puerto Rico's Failing Guajataca Dam Endangers Thousands". [[NBC News]].
  21. "Damage Assessments, Power Restoration Efforts Begin in Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands". [[The Weather Channel]].
  22. [[:File:GUAJATACA DAM NID Detail Report.pdf. GUAJATACA DAM: NID Detail Report]]
  23. (24 April 2019). "Government of Puerto Rico Drained the Guajataca Dam at the Height of the Drought".
  24. "Drying Caribbean | Centro de Periodismo InvestigativoCentro de Periodismo Investigativo".
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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