Aguamilpa Dam
Encyclopedia
The Aguamilpa Dam is an embankment dam
on the Río Grande de Santiago
in the Mexican state of Nayarit
, 38 km (24 mi) northeast of Tepic
. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supplies a 960 MW power station with water. Construction on the dam began in 1989 and it was completed in 1993 while the power station became operational in 1994.
and $250 million was invested by several foreign governments. A $460 million World Bank loan was approved on 8 June 1989 and covered the Hydroelectric Development Project in Mexico which included the Aguamilpa Dam and the Zimapán Dam
. Also included in the Aguamilpa Dam project was the power plant, substations
and San Rafael Dam downstream. The dam was constructed by a consortium of engineering companies which included Hydroenergo, Siemens
, Voest, ANDRITZ and Technit. In 1993, construction on the dam was complete and its power plant was operational August of the next year. The dam was inaugurated on 21 July 1993 and its total cost was $967 million. Approximately 3,000 people were displaced and resettled by the construction of both dams in the Mexico Hydroelectric Development Project.
and creates a reservoir
with a 127 km² (49 sq mi) surface area and a capacity of 6950000000 cubic metre. Controlling the dam's spillway are six 19 m (62 ft) high and 12 m (39 ft) wide radial gates and water is released into the power station's penstock
s via three roller gates. The power station contains three 320 MW Francis turbine
-generators for a total installed capacity of 960 MW. Downstream of the Aguamilpa Dam is the San Rafael Dam at 21°46′49"N 104°53′15"W which has a storage capacity of 54000000 cubic metre and serves as a regulatory dam to control releases from Aguamilpa. A second phase of the project has yet to be built which includes the installation of two more 320 MW generators.
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
on the Río Grande de Santiago
Río Grande de Santiago
The Río Grande de Santiago is one of the longest rivers in Mexico, measuring up long. The river begins at Lake Chapala and continues roughly north-west through the Sierra Madre Occidental, receiving the Verde, Juchipila, Bolaños, and other tributaries...
in the Mexican state of Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Nayarit is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 20 municipalities and its capital city is Tepic.It is located in Western Mexico...
, 38 km (24 mi) northeast of Tepic
Tepic
Tepic is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Nayarit.It is located in the central part of the state, at.It stands at an altitude above sea level of some 915 meters, on the banks of the Río Mololoa and the Río Tepic, approximately 225 kilometers north-west of Guadalajara, Jalisco....
. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supplies a 960 MW power station with water. Construction on the dam began in 1989 and it was completed in 1993 while the power station became operational in 1994.
Background
Funding for the project was supplied by the Mexican Government, World BankWorld Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and $250 million was invested by several foreign governments. A $460 million World Bank loan was approved on 8 June 1989 and covered the Hydroelectric Development Project in Mexico which included the Aguamilpa Dam and the Zimapán Dam
Zimapán Dam
The Zimapán Dam, also known as Fernando Hiriart Balderrama Dam, is an arch dam on the Moctezuma River about southwest of Zimapán in Hidalgo state, Mexico...
. Also included in the Aguamilpa Dam project was the power plant, substations
Electrical substation
A substation is a part of an electrical generation, transmission, and distribution system. Substations transform voltage from high to low, or the reverse, or perform any of several other important functions...
and San Rafael Dam downstream. The dam was constructed by a consortium of engineering companies which included Hydroenergo, Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
, Voest, ANDRITZ and Technit. In 1993, construction on the dam was complete and its power plant was operational August of the next year. The dam was inaugurated on 21 July 1993 and its total cost was $967 million. Approximately 3,000 people were displaced and resettled by the construction of both dams in the Mexico Hydroelectric Development Project.
Design
The Aguamilpa Dam is a 187 m (614 ft) tall and 660 m (2,165 ft) long concrete-face rock-fill dam containing 14000000 m³ (18,311,309 cu yd) of fill. The dam sits at the head of a 73800 km² (28,494 sq mi) catchment areaDrainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
and creates a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
with a 127 km² (49 sq mi) surface area and a capacity of 6950000000 cubic metre. Controlling the dam's spillway are six 19 m (62 ft) high and 12 m (39 ft) wide radial gates and water is released into the power station's penstock
Penstock
A penstock is a sluice or gate or intake structure that controls water flow, or an enclosed pipe that delivers water to hydraulic turbines and sewerage systems. It is a term that has been inherited from the technology of wooden watermills....
s via three roller gates. The power station contains three 320 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
-generators for a total installed capacity of 960 MW. Downstream of the Aguamilpa Dam is the San Rafael Dam at 21°46′49"N 104°53′15"W which has a storage capacity of 54000000 cubic metre and serves as a regulatory dam to control releases from Aguamilpa. A second phase of the project has yet to be built which includes the installation of two more 320 MW generators.
See also
- El Cajón DamEl Cajón Dam (Mexico)The El Cajón Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Río Grande de Santiago in the Mexican state of Nayarit. Construction began in 2003 and was completed in June 2007. It cost US$800 million to build. It is long and is high. The reservoir holds approximately of water, and the generators are capable of...
— upstream, completed in 2007 - La Yesca DamLa Yesca DamLa Yesca Dam is an under construction embankment dam on the Santiago River northwest of Guadalajara on the border of Mexico's Nayarit and Jalisco states. Construction on the dam began in 2007 after Empresas ICA was awarded the main construction contract. Completion is expected towards the end of...
— being constructed upstream of the El Cajón Dam - List of power stations in Mexico