Arrocampo Reservoir

(This article is a summary translation of Spanish article Embalse de Arrocampo of Wikipedia (es))

Arrocampo Reservoir
Arrocampo reservoir dam
Arrocampo Reservoir is located in Spain
Arrocampo Reservoir
Arrocampo Reservoir
LocationAlmaraz, Romangordo, Saucedilla, Serrejón, Spain
Coordinates39°49′N 05°42′W
Typereservoir
Native nameEmbalse de Arrocampo (Spanish)
Managing agencyIberdrola, Endesa
Built1976
Surface area776 ha (1,920 acres)

The Arrocampo Reservoir,[1] (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 Arrocampo reservoir as system to refrigerate the Almaraz Nuclear Plant
Water circulation in Arrocampo reservoir

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.

The Arrocampo reservoir as a wetland
Arrocampo reservoir
The grey heron can be watched in Arrocampo
  • Biomass (ecology): biomass of reservoir waters is very important on all trophic levels, including Phytoplankton and zooplankton.
  • Fish: 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. Species available include: 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.
  • Birds: 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 pairs of lesser kestrels on its walls and roofs) and the other one is all the Arrocampo reservoir.
  • Wall of thermic separation in the reservoir
    Wall of thermic separation in the reservoir
  • Typha plants (bulrush, cattail) in Arrocampo
    Typha plants (bulrush, cattail) in Arrocampo
  • View of reservoir from a Saucedilla hill
    View of reservoir from a Saucedilla hill
  • Great cormorants on the wall of thermic separation (CNA phot.)
    Great cormorants on the wall of thermic separation (CNA phot.)
  • Anglers in Arrocampo
    Anglers in Arrocampo
  • Cattail plants
    Cattail plants
  • Angling
    Angling
  • End of thermic separation wall
    End of thermic separation wall

The Arrocampo reservoir as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for wild birds
Information office of Arrocampo reservoir Special Protection Area at Saucedilla
Lesser kestrel, protected in the walls and roofs of Saucedilla church
Cattle egret, very common in Arrocampo
Great cormorant
Little egret
Grey heron
Purple swamphen: perhaps the symbol bird of Arrocampo reservoir

[2]

The Arrocampo ornithologic park (Saucedilla)

The Arrocampo ornithologic park is located in the municipality of Saucedilla, near the reservoir. It was designed by the ornithologist Javier Briz.

  • Monfragüe National Park: the proximity of this national park (...)
  • Route 1: Arrocampo: (...)
  • Route 2: Cerro Alto: (...)
  • Interior of the Information Office of SPA Arrocampo reservoir
    Interior of the Information Office of SPA Arrocampo reservoir
  • Bird hide
    Bird hide
  • Route 1 marker
    Route 1 marker
  • Pool on Route 2
    Pool on Route 2
  • Bird hide
    Bird hide
  • White storks near the reservoir
    White storks near the reservoir

References
  1. El embalse de Arrocampo, 1996, Ed. Central Nuclear de Almaraz. This book is the basic reference of this article.
  2. Birding in Extremadura, Ed. Junta de Extremadura Archived October 4, 2013, at the Wayback Machine

Bibliography
  • El embalse de Arrocampo, 1996, Ed. Central Nuclear Almaraz.
  • Almaraz, un entorno para admirar, by Javier Briz and Óscar J. González; Madrid 2011; Ed. Centrales Nucleares Almaraz-Trillo. Photographs book with extraordinary birds pictures of Óscar J. González, photographer and biologist. This book is not sold in bookshops but it is possible to get it at Centrales Nucleares de Almaraz-Trillo, in: comunicacion@cnat.es
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