The Mancotal Dam is an

embankment dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and ...

on the

Tuma River The Tuma River is a river located in Nicaragua. The length of the Tuma is . The river, a left tributary of the Río Grande de Matagalpa, is located in the Jinotega and Matagalpa Departments, North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region, and South Cari ...

near Asturias in Jinotega Department, Nicaragua. It forms

Lake Apanás Lake Apanás is a reservoir located in northern Nicaragua and formed by Mancotal Dam on the Tuma River to the north of Jinotega department (border with Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central Ameri ...

, the largest reservoir in the country. The primary purpose of the dam is

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

power generation and it supports the 50 MW Centro América Plant. The dam was completed and its first generator commissioned in 1964. The second generator was commissioned a year later on 18 March 1965. To generate power, water from the southwestern end of the Lake Apanás flows along a long channel before it enters a series of headrace pipes and a penstock. About to the south west the penstock meets Centro América Plant where it turns two 25 MW

Francis turbine The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency. The proces ...

s. After generating power the water is then discharged into the Viejo River. To supplement levels in the Lake Apanás, the

El Dorado Dam EL, El or el may refer to: Religion * El (deity), a Semitic word for "God" People * EL (rapper) (born 1983), stage name of Elorm Adablah, a Ghanaian rapper and sound engineer * El DeBarge, music artist * El Franco Lee (1949–2016), American po ...

was completed in 1985 and forms Lake Asturias just downstream of the Mancotal Dam. Water from Lake Asturias can be pumped into Lake Apanás. In 1998 heavy rains from Hurricane Mitch severely damaged the Mancotal and El Dorado Dams, over-topping their spillways and nearly destroying the dams. The

Virgen Dam The Virgen Dam is an embankment dam on the Viejo River near the town of El Hato de La Virgen in Matagalpa Department, Nicaragua. The primary purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power generation and it supports the run-of-the-river Carlos Fonesca ...

downstream on the Viejo River was destroyed but later rebuilt.

References

{{GeoGroupTemplate Dams in Nicaragua Hydroelectric power stations in Nicaragua Dams completed in 1964 Energy infrastructure completed in 1965 Jinotega Department

See also

References