El Carrizal Dam

The El Carrizal Dam (in Spanish, Embalse El Carrizal) is a dam on the upper-middle course of the Tunuyán River, in the center-north of the province of Mendoza, Argentina upstream from the city of Rivadavia. Its reservoir measures about 15 by 5 kilometres (9.3 mi × 3.1 mi), and its maximum water level stands at 785.5 metres (2,577 ft) above the sea, covering an area of 34.8 square kilometres (13.4 sq mi). It has a maximum volume of 462 million cubic metres (16.3×10^⁹ cu ft).[1]

El Carrizal Dam
Spillway and reservoir
Location of El Carrizal Dam in Argentina
Country	Argentina
Location	Mendoza
Coordinates	33°18′0″S 68°43′15″W
Purpose	Power, irrigation
Status	Operational
Construction began	1965
Opening date	1971
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment, earth and rock-fill
Impounds	Tunuyán River
Height	46 m (151 ft)
Length	2,113 m (6,932 ft)
Width (crest)	10 m (33 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity	462,000,000 m3 (375,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface area	34.8 km2 (13.4 sq mi)
Turbines	2 x 8.5 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity	17 MW
Annual generation	83 Mio. kWh

The dam is used to regulate the flow of the Tunuyán River, which comes from glacial sources in the Andes, and to irrigate the otherwise arid region. The reservoir is a tourist attraction and is employed for fishing, windsurfing, sailing, etc., while its shores feature camping sites and other lodging facilities.

The waters of the dam feed a hydroelectric power station, which was built in 1971 and has an installed power generation capacity of 17 megawatts (23,000 hp).[1]