The Chagres River is a river

River

A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...

 in central Panama

Panama

Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...

. The central part of the river is dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

med by the Gatun Dam

Gatun Dam

The Gatun Dam is a large earthen dam across the Chagres River in Panama, near the town of Gatun. The dam, constructed between 1907 and 1913, is a crucial element of the Panama Canal; it impounds the artificial Gatun Lake, which in turn carries ships for of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama...

 and forms Gatun Lake

Gatun Lake

Gatun Lake is a large artificial lake situated in the Republic of Panama; it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships for of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama....

, an artificial lake that constitutes part of the Panama Canal

Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...

. Upstream lies the Madden Dam, creating the Alajuala Lake (Lajo Alajuela) that is also part of the Canal water system. It drains northwest into the Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

.

Madden Dam and Alahuela Lake

Upstream in the Chagres river lies the Madden Dam (9°12.669′N 79°36.981′W), created in 1935. The Madden Dam created the Lake Alajuela

Lake Alajuela

Lake Alajuela is an artificial lake linked to the Panama Canal. Alajuela serves as a reservoir for the canal, which lies to the lake’s south-west. In early December 2010, Alajuela reached its highest-recorded water level, prompting authorities to close the Panama Canal for 17 hours...

, which is an essential element in the water situation of the canal. The lake has a maximum level of 250 ft above sealevel. It can store one third of the canal's annual need. Since it is not part of the navigational route, there are less restrictions on the waterlevel.

The dam prevents the possible torrential flow of the Chagres river into the navigational route of Lake Gatun. The water is also used to generate hydroelectric power, and to supply Panama City's freshwater. The dam is named after US congressman Martin B. Madden

Martin B. Madden

Martin Barnaby Madden was a U.S. Representative from Illinois.Born in Wolviston, County Durham, England, Madden immigrated to the United States with his parents , and settled near Chicago, Illinois, in 1869. He attended the public schools in Chicago and was graduated from Bryant and Stratton...

.

Gatun Dam and Gatun Lake

At 3.2 kilometres (2 mi) from the rivers mouth lies the Gatun Dam

Gatun Dam

The Gatun Dam is a large earthen dam across the Chagres River in Panama, near the town of Gatun. The dam, constructed between 1907 and 1913, is a crucial element of the Panama Canal; it impounds the artificial Gatun Lake, which in turn carries ships for of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama...

, that creates the Gatun Lake

Gatun Lake

Gatun Lake is a large artificial lake situated in the Republic of Panama; it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships for of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama....

. The lake is essential to the canal's water supply, as it provides the water at the high level needed for the locking-process. The lake also has a part of the navigational canal, and provides hydroelectricity. Created in 1913 by the damming of the Charges River Gatun Lake is an essential part of the Panama Canal which forms a water passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, permitting ship transit in both directions. At the time it was formed Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world. The impassable rain-forest around Gatun Lake has been the best defense of the Panama Canal. Today these areas have endured practically unscathed by human interference and are one of the few accessible areas on earth that various native Central American animal and plant species can be observed undisturbed in their natural habitat. World famous Barro Colorado Island, which was established for scientific study when the lake was formed and is today operated by the Smithsonian Institution, is the largest island on Gatun Lake. Many of the most important ground breaking scientific and biological discoveries of the tropical animal and plant kingdom originated here. Lake Gatun encompasses approximately 180 square miles (466.2 km²), a vast tropical ecological zone part of the Atlantic Forest Corridor and Eco-tourism on Gatun Lake has become a worthwhile industry for Panamanians. Gatun Lake also serves to provide the millions of gallons of water necessary to operate the Panama Canal locks each time a ship passes through and provides drinking water for Panama City and Colon. Angling is one of the primary recreational pursuits on Gatun Lake. It is suspected that the Cichla Pleiozona species of Peacock Bass was introduced by accident to Gatun Lake by a renowned Panamanian aquarist and doctor in 1958. Locally called Sargento these peacock bass are not a native game fish of Panama but originate from the Amazon, Rio Negro and Orinoco river basins of South America where they are called Tucanare or Pavon and are considered a premier game fish. Since 1958 the Cichla Pleiozona species of Peacock Bass have flourished to become the dominant angling game fish in Gatun Lake of the Panama Canal. The aggressive fish is an angler's dream come true. They hit topwater lures, subsurface lures imitating baitfish, and a variety of fly patterns. When hooked, they perform admirably, generating a respectable fight on appropriate tackle. Oddly, they have a preference for feeding during daylight hours. Lake Gatun remains to this day, as it has been for more than 50 years, one of the best peacock bass angling lakes in the world.

History

The commander, Diego Cueto and his helmsman, Pedro de Umbria visited the region in 1506.

Henry Morgan

Henry Morgan

Admiral Sir Henry Morgan was an Admiral of the Royal Navy, a privateer, and a pirate who made a name for himself during activities in the Caribbean, primarily raiding Spanish settlements...

 traveled the Chagres River to attack Panama City

Panama City

Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...

 in 1670-71.

It was explored in 1527 by Hernando de la Serna, and founded the town of Chagres in its mouth, and the fortress of San Lorenzo was built. Goods were transported on foot in its bed from Panama City

Panama City

Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...

 to the coastal town of Cruces

Cruces

Cruces is a municipality and town in Cienfuegos Province, Cuba. It is the home of the Mal Tiempo National Park which commemorates a battle in the 1895 War of Independence....

 and from there sailing on the river to its mouth. This road, called Camino de Cruces, was very popular until the eighteenth century. It was not until the late nineteenth century when once again the attention of the river was focused, but to use it as a support of the Panama Canal. The Chagres River is the Panama Canal's chief source of water.

Its upper basin is covered by dense tropical forests and to protect it, Panama created Chagres National Park

Chagres National Park

The Chagres National Park is located between the Province of Panama and Colon, in the Eastern sector of the Panama Canal with a total surface area of ....

 in 1985.

Further reading

• The Chagres: River of Westward Passage by John Easter Minter (part of the Rivers of America Series
  Rivers of America Series
  The Rivers of America Series is a landmark series of books on American rivers, for the most part written by literary figures rather than historians. The series spanned three publishers and thirty-seven years.- History :...
  
  . Rinehart & Company
  Rinehart & Company
  Rinehart & Company, an American publishing company, was the successor to Farrar & Rinehart, Inc. In 1946, following the departure of John C. Farrar, the company was renamed Rinehart & Company. The brothers Stanley M. Rinehart and Frederick R. Rinehart continued to operate the company until its...
  
  ; 1948)

External links

• http://hackingfamily.com/Landfalls/SouthWest/chagres_river.htm
• Gatun Lake