Cabdella Lakes facts for kids
Cabdella Lakes are a group of beautiful lakes located high up in the Pyrenees mountains of Spain. You can find them in the Fosca Valley, near Lleida. These lakes are all connected by special tunnels. They provide water for important power stations like Lake Gento (Estany Gento), the Sallente Reservoir, and the Central Hidroelectrica de Cabdella. This whole system is in a place called La Torre de Cabdella, which is part of Pallars Jussà.
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What are the Cabdella Lakes?
The Cabdella Lakes form a big system for storing and using water. This water is super important for people and businesses in the area. The system even includes the Flamisell River, which flows into the Noguera Pallaresa river basin.
How the Lakes Were Formed
Long, long ago, about 30 lakes were formed here by glaciers. Imagine giant sheets of ice slowly carving out the land! Over time, many of these natural lakes were made even bigger. Small dams were built to hold more water, increasing their original size.
Power from Water: Hydroelectric Plants
The Sallente Reservoir helps control the water flow for the entire system, especially at Lake Gento. A big power plant called the Central Hidroelectrica de Cabdella was built in 1985. This plant uses the water collected by a huge network of underground tunnels. These tunnels were built a long time ago, in the early 1900s! What's cool is that this power plant is "reversible." This means it can use extra electricity produced at certain times to pump water back up, ready to make more power later.
Explore the Cabdella Lakes Trail
There's a fun walking trail that's about 5 kilometers (3 miles) long. It follows the path of an old narrow-gauge railway. This railway was used way back in 1912 to carry building materials and workers when they first started construction here.
What You'll See on the Trail
As you walk the trail, you'll go through several tunnels and enjoy long, winding paths. You'll see the dammed Lake Gento and the Sallente Reservoir. Plus, you'll get amazing views of tall, rocky granite peaks all around you!
Main Lakes in the System
Here are some of the larger lakes that are part of this amazing system, along with their approximate heights above sea level:
- Gento Lake (2132 meters)
- Mar (2427 meters)
- Colomina (2411 meters)
- Xic de Colomina (2420 meters)
- Saburó (2530 meters)
- Petit de Saburó (2560 meters)
- Saburó d’Amunt (2600 meters)
- Tort (2325 meters)
- Vidal (2440 meters)
- Vidals d’Amunt (2680 meters)
- Frescau (2418 meters)
- Mariolo (2272 meters)
- Cubieso (2340 meters)
- Etserola (2340 meters)
- Castieso (2340 meters)
- Morto (2340 meters)
- Carbonera (2420 meters)
- Fosser (2122 meters)
- Morera (2350 meters)
- Grenut (2460 meters)
- Cogomella (2460 meters)
- Travessan (2360 meters)
- Reguera (2430 meters)
- Salado (2370 meters)
- Francí (2320 meters)
- Ribanegra (2360 meters)
- Castell (2460 meters)
See also
In Spanish: Lagos de Cabdella para niños
