The Alarcón Dam ( Spanish: ''Presa de Alarcón'', ''Pantano de Alarcón'', or ''Embalse de Alarcón'') is a

gravity dam A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation to oppose the horizontal pressure of water pushing against it. ...

on the upper course of the

Júcar River left The Júcar () or Xúquer () is a river on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain. The river runs for approximately 509 km from its source at Ojuelos de Valdeminguete, on the eastern flank of the Montes Universales, Sistema Ibérico. Its most i ...

. It is located from

Alarcón Alarcón is a municipality in the province of Cuenca, in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Geography Located 87 kilometers (54 miles) south of the city of Cuenca, Alarcón spans an area of 120 km² (50 sq mi) at an ...

, in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

of Cuenca, in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha,

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

. The

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

formed by the dam has a water capacity of and spans a

surface area The surface area of a solid object is a measure of the total area that the surface of the object occupies. The mathematical definition of surface area in the presence of curved surfaces is considerably more involved than the definition of arc ...

of 6,840

hectares The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is ab ...

(26 square miles). All together, its

drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...

measures 3,033 km² (1,171 mi²). The dam houses a hydroelectric power plant with an installed power capacity of 56 MW. The

Tagus-Segura Water Transfer The Tagus-Segura Water Transfer (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Trasvase Tajo-Segura'') is one of the largest works of hydraulic engineering ever produced in Spain. Water from the Tagus River is channeled through this Interbasin transfer, transf ...

, which links two other major rivers, joins the reservoir briefly on its journey south, entering at the northern tail end and mixing its waters with the Júcar. Construction of the

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, a ...

began in 1941 through the efforts of Valencian farmers who wanted to stabilize the flow of the river, as

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow Crop, crops, Landscape plant, landscape plants, and Lawn, lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,00 ...

in the province of Valencia depends on that supply of water. This initiative is unique in Spanish history because rather than the State, it was the farmers who assumed the total cost of the project, having organized under the '' Unidad Sindical de Usuarios del Júcar'' (USUJ, Júcar Users' Coalition), an alliance of . Beneath the waters of the Alarcón Reservoir rest the remains of the town of Gascas, which was flooded after the building of the dam. When the water level drops, one can see traces of the streets and walls, as well as a stone wall with an arch. The reservoir is located within the

municipal districts A municipal district is an administrative entity comprising a clearly-defined territory and its population. It can refer to a city, a town, a village, a small grouping of them, or a rural area. Brazil In Brazil, municipal districts are, in genera ...

of the following towns (from east to west): Alarcón,

Olmedilla de Alarcón Olmedilla de Alarcón is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(Engli ...

Tébar Tébar is a municipality located in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research center * Institu ...

Cañada Juncosa Cañada Juncosa is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "F ...

Buenache de Alarcón Buenache de Alarcón is a municipality in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultr ...

Honrubia Honrubia is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further ...

Torrubia del Castillo Torrubia del Castillo is a municipality located in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research ce ...

Hontecillas Hontecillas is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Furt ...

Valverde de Júcar Valverde de Júcar is a municipality located in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2016 census (INE INE, Ine or ine may refer to: Institutions * Institut für Nukleare Entsorgung, a German nuclear research cente ...

Castillo de Garcimuñoz Castillo de Garcimuñoz is a municipality in Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(E ...

, Villaverde y Pasaconsol, La Almarcha, Belmontejo, and Olivares de Júcar.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Alarcon Dam Dams in Spain Hydroelectric power stations in Spain Gravity dams 1955 establishments in Spain Dams completed in 1955 Buildings and structures in the Province of Cuenca Energy infrastructure completed in 1955 Reservoirs in Castilla–La Mancha Energy in Castilla–La Mancha