Castanhão Dam
| Castanhão Dam | |
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View of the dam
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 Location of Castanhão Dam in Brazil
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| Official name | Açude Público Padre Cicero |
| Country | Brazil |
| Location | Jaguaribara, Ceará |
| Coordinates | 5°29′51″S 38°26′49″W / 5.4975°S 38.446944°WCoordinates: 5°29′51″S 38°26′49″W / 5.4975°S 38.446944°W |
| Purpose | Water reservoir |
| Status | Active |
| Construction began | 1995 |
| Opening date | 29 January 2004 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Jaguaribe River |
| Height (thalweg) | 111 metres (364 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 6,700,000,000 cubic metres (2.4×1011 cu ft) |
| Inactive capacity | 250,000,000 cubic metres (8.8×109 cu ft) |
| Surface area | 36,000 hectares (89,000 acres) |
The Castanhão Dam (Portuguese: Açude Castanhão) is a dam in the state of Ceará, Brazil. It is the largest multiple use reservoir in the country, the largest on an intermittent river, and the main reservoir for the state and the metropolitan region of Fortaleza. The dam supplies drinking water, and supports industry, irrigation and fish farming. Through steady release of water the dam maintains water flow in the Jaguaribe River throughout the year. During 2012–16 Ceará experienced a prolonged drought. Water levels in the reservoir dropped to 5% of capacity and usage had to be rationed.
The Castanhão dam is in the municipality of Alto Santo, Ceará. The reservoir covers parts of the municipalities of Alto Santo, Jaguaribara, Jaguaribe and Jaguaretama. The dam is 307 kilometres (191 mi) from the state capital of Fortaleza. It is the largest multiple-use public reservoir in Brazil and the largest dam in Brazil on an intermittent river.
The reservoir has 6,700,000,000 cubic metres (2.4×1011 cu ft) capacity, of which 250,000,000 cubic metres (8.8×109 cu ft) is dead volume. The reservoir covers 325 square kilometres (125 sq mi), and extends for 58 kilometres (36 mi) from southwest to northeast along the Jaguaribe River. In places it is more than 50 metres (160 ft) deep. The main dam is 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) long and 11 metres (36 ft) wide, with 12 floodgates and four dispersing valves. The spillway is 106 metres (348 ft) and the crown quota is 111 metres (364 ft). The dam includes a hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 22.5 MW.
The Orós Dam, further upstream on the Jaguaribe, provides 2.5 cubic metres (88 cu ft) per second, while the Castanhão supplies 15 cubic metres (530 cu ft) per second. Of this 9.5 cubic metres (340 cu ft) per second goes via the Eixão das Águas to the metropolitan region and 5.5 cubic metres (190 cu ft) per second goes into the Jaguaribe River, which the dam keeps flowing to Itaiçaba all year. From Itaiçaba the water follows the Canal do Trabalhador to the state capital.
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Wikipedia