San Roque Lake
Encyclopedia
The San Roque Lake is a reservoir
(artificial lake) in the province
of Córdoba
, Argentina
. It was created by the dam
ming of several rivers, especially the Suquía
and the Cosquín
. It is located next to the city of Villa Carlos Paz
, about 600 m above mean sea level
. It has a surface area of 16 km², an average depth of 16 m, and a maximum volume of 180 million m³.
The dam was initially built to provide fresh water for the capital and its surroundings. It was designed in 1884 by the engineering firm of Cassaffousth, Bialet Massé and Dumesnil, finished in 1886, and inaugurated officially in 1890. Two years later the dam was suffering from a complete lack of maintenance, however, and a political scandal erupted.
The original dam was finally replaced by a newer one, located 150 m away, by an initiative of Governor Amadeo Sabattini
, and completed in 1944. The newer dam was built to contain and control larger rises in water levels. When the engineers tried to demolish the original dam, the dynamite only blew the metal railing. The new dam was therefore built several meters in front of the old one. When the level of the lake is low, the upper part of the old construction can be seen.
San Roque Lake was for some time, the biggest artificial lake in the world.
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...
(artificial lake) in the province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
, Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. It was created by the 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...
ming of several rivers, especially the Suquía
Primero River
The Primero River , also known as Suquía , runs through the city of Córdoba, Argentina....
and the Cosquín
Cosquín River
The Cosquín River is a small river in the province of Córdoba, Argentina. It is located in the area of the Punilla Valley and is part of the upper drainage basin of the Suquía River....
. It is located next to the city of Villa Carlos Paz
Villa Carlos Paz
Villa Carlos Paz is a city in the center-north of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, in the south of the Punilla Valley, lying on the western slope of the Sierras Chicas. It has a population of about 56,000 as per the...
, about 600 m above mean sea level
Above mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. It has a surface area of 16 km², an average depth of 16 m, and a maximum volume of 180 million m³.
The dam was initially built to provide fresh water for the capital and its surroundings. It was designed in 1884 by the engineering firm of Cassaffousth, Bialet Massé and Dumesnil, finished in 1886, and inaugurated officially in 1890. Two years later the dam was suffering from a complete lack of maintenance, however, and a political scandal erupted.
The original dam was finally replaced by a newer one, located 150 m away, by an initiative of Governor Amadeo Sabattini
Amadeo Sabattini
Amadeo Tomás Sabattini was an Argentine politician. He served as Governor of Córdoba from May 17, 1936, to May 17, 1940....
, and completed in 1944. The newer dam was built to contain and control larger rises in water levels. When the engineers tried to demolish the original dam, the dynamite only blew the metal railing. The new dam was therefore built several meters in front of the old one. When the level of the lake is low, the upper part of the old construction can be seen.
San Roque Lake was for some time, the biggest artificial lake in the world.