*** Welcome to piglix ***

Arrocampo Reservoir

Arrocampo Reservoir
Embalse de Arrocampo
Presa principal del embalse de Arrocampo.jpg
Arrocampo reservoir dam
Arrocampo Reservoir is located in Spain
Arrocampo Reservoir
Arrocampo Reservoir
Location Almaraz, Romangordo, Saucedilla, Serrejón, Spain
Coordinates 39°49′N 05°42′W / 39.817°N 5.700°W / 39.817; -5.700Coordinates: 39°49′N 05°42′W / 39.817°N 5.700°W / 39.817; -5.700
Type reservoir
Managing agency Iberdrola, Endesa
Built 1976
Surface area 776 ha (1,920 acres)

The Arrocampo Reservoir, (embalse de Arrocampo or embalse de Arrocampo-Almaraz in Spanish), is located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura, Spain.

It was created at 1976 to refrigerate the turbines of the Almaraz Nuclear Power Plant. The nearest municipalities are Almaraz, Romangordo, Saucedilla and Serrejón. The dam is on the Arrocampo River (arroyo Arrocampo), very close to where this little river joins the Tagus.

The refrigeration of the Almaraz nuclear power plant was the first reason for the construction of the reservoir.
The water is taken from the Tagus and cover a U-shaped circuit of 25 km which allows the cooling of the heat generated by the two nuclear reactors of the plant. (See the illustration of the water circulation in Arrocampo) (...) The walls of thermic separation (pantallas de separación térmica in Spanish) (PST) are 11 km long and 8 m high (...). The tops of these walls are used by great cormorants and great egret as standing, resting and sleeping areas.

-Phytoplankton and zooplankton (...)

Angling is often practiced on weekend and feast days. There are sometimes a lot of recreational fishermen at the principal access to the reservoir, near the local route Almaraz-Saucedilla.

-Carps
-Common barbel
-Tench (Tinca tinca)

-Gambusia
-Largemouth bass or black bass: this species is very common and the size is often spectacular.
-European eel ...


Before the creation of Arrocampo reservoir (1976), there were a lot of wild birds in lands of Almaraz, Saucedilla. White storks, cattle egrets, lesser kestrels ... are traditional birds of this area. Now there are two special protection areas: one is the parish church of Saucedilla (17 couples of lesser kestrels on its walls and roofs) and the other one is all the Arrocampo reservoir.


...
Wikipedia

...