Guajataca Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Guajataca Lake |
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 Guajataca Lake
Location in Puerto Rico
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| Location | San Sebastián / Quebradillas / Isabela municipalities, Puerto Rico |
| Coordinates | 18°23′51″N 66°55′26″W / 18.39750°N 66.92389°W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Native name | Lago Guajataca Error {{native name checker}}: parameter value is malformed (help) |
| Basin countries | Puerto Rico |
| Managing agency | Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority |
| Built | 1928 |
| First flooded | 1928 |
| Surface area | 1.32 square miles (3.4 km2) |
| Water volume | 11,000,000,000 US gal (42,000,000 m3) |
Guajataca Lake, also known as Lago Guajataca, is a large man-made lake in Puerto Rico. It was created in 1929 by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. This important lake is located where three towns meet: San Sebastián, Quebradillas, and Isabela.
The lake was formed by building a dam across the Río Guajataca. In 2017, after Hurricane Maria, the dam had some serious problems.
Contents
Guajataca Dam: A Key Structure
| Guajataca Dam | |
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The dam in August 2007
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| Purpose | Irrigation, Water Supply |
| Owner(s) | Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority |
| Operator(s) | Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Earthen |
| Height (thalweg) | 120 (feet) |
| Length | 984 (feet) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Guajataca Lake |
The Guajataca Dam is an earthen dam, meaning it's built mostly from compacted earth. Its main jobs are to provide water for farming (irrigation) and drinking water for people.
The lake behind the dam covers about 1.6 square miles (4.1 square kilometres). It is about 2.5 miles (4.0 kilometres) long and 1 mile (1.6 kilometres) wide at its widest point. The dam can hold a lot of water, about 30,055 acre-feet (37 million cubic metres).
The area that collects rainwater for the lake, called its drainage basin, is 31 square miles (80 km2). The dam is also near the Guajataka Scout Reservation.
Building the Guajataca Dam
The idea to build the dam came from a law passed in Puerto Rico in 1919. This law was called the "Isabela public irrigation law."
Construction of the dam began in 1928. When it was first finished, the lake could hold about 39,286 acre-feet (48 million cubic metres) of water. However, by 1999, the lake's capacity had gone down to 34,276 acre-feet (42 million cubic metres). This reduction, about 13% less, happened because of sediment (like dirt and sand) washing into the lake over time.
The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority designed and still owns the Guajataca Dam.
Dam Safety and Hurricane Maria
On September 22, 2017, after Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, there was a serious problem at the Guajataca Dam. The part of the dam that lets out extra water, called the spillway, started to fail. This meant the dam could potentially collapse.
The National Weather Service quickly told about 70,000 people living downstream to leave their homes right away. They called it a "life-threatening situation." The governor of Puerto Rico, Ricardo Rosselló, said it was a "structural failure" and ordered the Puerto Rico National Guard and police to help with the evacuation. The lake holds about 11 billion gallons of water, so a dam failure would be very dangerous.
The dam had last been checked in October 2013.
After the emergency, the first phase of repairs to prevent more flooding was finished in November 2017. Many people, including farmers who rely on the lake's water, have faced water rationing since then. The final repairs are expected to continue until 2028.
Images for kids
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Lake Guajataca in San Sebastián
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Damaged spillway, September 27th
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Pennsylvania National Guard working to stabilize the structure
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A Chinook helicopter lifting a big sandbag to reinforce the spillway, October 9th
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Pennsylvania National Guard
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USACE and Pennsylvania National Guard working to stabilize the structure, October 9th
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See also
In Spanish: Lago Guajataca para niños
