Lake Cerrillos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lago Cerrillos |
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Lake Cerrillos viewed facing south, with the Lake Cerrillos Dam in the distance
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 Lago Cerrillos
Location in Puerto Rico
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| Location | Barrio Maragüez, Ponce |
| Coordinates | 18°05′20″N 66°34′45″W / 18.08889°N 66.57917°W |
| Type | artificial reservoir |
| Basin countries | Puerto Rico |
| Water volume | 47,900 acre-feet (59,100,000 m3) |
| Settlements | Ponce |
Lake Cerrillos (or Lago Cerrillos in Spanish) is a special lake in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It's not a natural lake; it was built by people! The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finished building it in 1992. This lake helps in a few important ways. It stops floods, provides drinking water, and is a fun place for people to visit.
You can find many types of fish here, like largemouth bass, bluegills, catfish, and tilapias. The lake has also been a venue for big sports events. It hosted canoeing for the 1993 Central American and Caribbean Games. Later, it was used for canoeing and rowing during the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games. Most importantly, Lake Cerrillos is the main source of drinking water for the city of Ponce.
Contents
The Cerrillos Dam: A Big Wall of Water
The Lake Cerrillos Dam is a huge wall that holds back the water to create the lake. It's located about 6 kilometers (4 miles) northeast of Ponce. Building this dam started in 1984 and finished in 1992. After it was built, it took a few more years for the lake to fill up completely.
The dam can hold a massive amount of water, about 59 million cubic meters! Instead of using flood gates, the dam sends over 80,000 cubic meters of water every day to local homes. This water travels through a long tunnel, which is 434 meters (1,424 feet) long and 6 meters (20 feet) wide, at the bottom of the dam.
The dam itself is very tall, standing about 98 meters (323 feet) high. It's also very wide, stretching about 474 meters (1,555 feet) across, which is more than a quarter of a mile! The dam is about 15 kilometers (9.5 miles) from the coast of Ponce and sits 98 meters (323 feet) above sea level. It helps control floods and provides around 22 million US gallons of drinking water each day. The best water level for drinking water supply is 173.40 meters (569 feet).
Fun Things to Do at Lake Cerrillos
When the dam was built, two fun parks were also created for people to enjoy.
The park north of the lake is called Cerrillos State Forest. It's a lively park where you can launch boats, kayaks, and canoes from two special ramps. There are also nature trails where you can walk and explore. You'll find open-air shelters with barbecue grills, perfect for picnics and hanging out with friends and family. This park has five main areas: Campo de Recreo, El Atracadero, Bella Mirada, El Mirador, and Alto Balcón. This area is a protected forest, covering over 195 acres of land. Many sports events and competitions have taken place here.
The second park is located south of the lake. This area is known as the Parque Luis A. Wito Morales. It's a peaceful park often used by families and friends for relaxing and social gatherings.
Lake Cerrillos and Big Sports Events
Lake Cerrillos has been a key location for major sports competitions. In 2010, the lake's facilities were made even better for the rowing, canoeing, and kayak events of the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games. These games were hosted in the city of Mayagüez, and the improvements to the lake cost $350,000.
The lake was also used for the Pan American Canoe Sprint Championships in October 2013. It had hosted this same event back in 1999 too.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Cerrillos para niños
