Cerrón Grande Reservoir

Cerrón Grande Reservoir
Lake Suchitlán
View of the reservoir from Suchitoto
Cerrón Grande Reservoir
LocationEl Salvador, Central America
Coordinates14°00′00″N 89°01′50″W / 14.00000°N 89.03056°W / 14.00000; -89.03056
TypeArtificial lake
EtymologyNahuatl for "Place of Flowers"
(for Suchitlán)
Primary inflowsAcelhuate River, Lempa River
Primary outflowsLempa River
First flooded1976
Max. length40 km (25 mi)
Max. width10 km (6.2 mi)
Surface area135 km2 (52 sq mi)
Average depth30 m (98 ft)
Max. depth56 m (184 ft)
Water volume2,150 km3 (520 cu mi)
Surface elevation230 m (750 ft)
SettlementsColima, Platanares, San Cristobal, San Francisco Lempa, San Juan, San Luis del Carmen

The Cerrón Grande Reservoir (Spanish: Embalse Cerrón Grande), also known locally as Lake Suchitlán (Spanish: Lago Suchitlán), is a reservoir in northern El Salvador and the largest body of fresh water in the country. The reservoir was filled between 1973 and 1976, subsequent to the construction of the Cerrón Grande Hydroelectric Dam. The Cerrón Grande Reservoir is among the most polluted bodies of fresh water in Central America.