Potrerillos Dam
| Potrerillos Dam | |
|---|---|
View of Potrerillos Reservoir with the dam in the distance | |
| Location | Mendoza, Argentina |
| Coordinates | 32°59′42″S 69°07′33″W / 32.99500°S 69.12583°W |
| Opening date | 2003 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete-faced rockfill |
| Height | 116 m (381 ft) |
| Length | 395 m (1,296 ft) |
| Spillway type | Morning-glory |
| Spillway capacity | 1,800 m3/s (63,566 cu ft/s) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Potrerillos Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 420,000 dam3 (340,500 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface area | 1,300 ha (3,212 acres) |
| Power Station | |
| Turbines | Cacheuta: 4 x 30 MW Francis Álvarez Condarco: 2 x 24 MW Francis, 1 x 13 MW Francis |
| Installed capacity | Cacheuta: 120 MW Álvarez Condarco: 61 MW Total: 181 MW |
| Annual generation | 850 GWh |
Potrerillos Dam is located on the Mendoza River, in Argentina's Potrerillos Valley. The dam was built between 1999 and 2003 by a consortium consisting of Industrias Metalúrgicas Pescarmona (IMPSA) and Cartellone to provide flood control, hydroelectricity and irrigation water. The dam cost US$ 312 million to construct. Located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of Mendoza, the concrete-faced rockfill dam is 116 metres (381 ft) high and 395 metres (1,296 ft) long, impounding the 12 km (7.5 mi) long Potrerillos Reservoir.
The dam and reservoir have lost significant storage capacity due to the high silt content of the Mendoza River. When the reservoir was first filled in 2003, the capacity was estimated at 627,000 cubic decametres (508,000 acre⋅ft), with a total surface area of 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres). This has since decreased to 420,000 dam3 (340,000 acre⋅ft) with a surface area of 1,300 ha (3,200 acres). The reduction in capacity has threatened the flood control capability of the dam, with the concern that the emergency spillway may become inadequate to pass high flood flows as the reservoir loses its capability to retain them.