The Florentino Ameghino Dam (''Dique Florentino Ameghino'') is a gravity dam in

Chubut Province Chubut ( es, Provincia del Chubut, ; cy, Talaith Chubut) is a province in southern Argentina, situated between the 42nd parallel south (the border with Río Negro Province), the 46th parallel south (bordering Santa Cruz Province), the Andes rang ...

Patagonia Patagonia () refers to a geographical region that encompasses the southern end of South America, governed by Argentina and Chile. The region comprises the southern section of the Andes Mountains with lakes, fjords, temperate rainforests, and g ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, west of the city of

Trelew Trelew (, from cy, tref "town" and the name of the founder, Lewis Jones) is a city in the eastern part of the Chubut Province of Argentina. Located in Patagonia, the city is the largest and most populous in the low valley of the Chubut River, wi ...

. The dam also protects the towns in the lower Chubut River valley from flooding. The Florentino Ameghino is located on the Chubut River, which originates from snowmelt in the Andes. Work began on the dam in 1943, led by the engineer Antonio Pronsato; the dam was inaugurated in 1963. The dam has two Francis turbines of each. The dam is currently operated by Hidroeléctrica Ameghino. Adjacent to the dam is a town with approximately 200 residents called Villa Dique Florentino Ameghino. The dam takes its name from

Florentino Ameghino Florentino Ameghino (born Giovanni Battista Fiorino Giuseppe Ameghino September 19, 1853 – August 6, 1911) was an Argentine naturalist, paleontologist, anthropologist and zoologist, whose fossil discoveries on the Argentine Pampas, especially ...

, an Argentine naturalist, paleontologist, anthropologist and zoologist.

External links

{{stack, {{Portal, Argentina, Water, Renewable energy
Images and information about Florentino Ameghino Dam
from Vistas del Valle
Hidroeléctrica Ameghino official site
Dams completed in 1963 Energy infrastructure completed in 1963 Hydroelectric power stations in Argentina Tourist attractions in Chubut Province Dams in Argentina 1963 establishments in Argentina