Gatun Lake () is a mostly freshwater (slightly saline near the locks)

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

to the south of

Colón, Panama Colón () is a city and Port#Seaport, seaport in Panama, beside the Caribbean Sea, lying near the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic entrance to the Panama Canal. It is the capital of Panama's Colón Province and has traditionally been known as Panama's se ...

. At approximately above sea level, it forms a major part of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

, carrying ships of their transit across the

Isthmus of Panama The Isthmus of Panama, historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North America, North and South America. The country of Panama is located on the i ...

. It was created June 27, 1913 when the gates of the spillway at

Gatun Dam The Gatun Dam is an earthen dam across the Chagres River in Panama, near the town of Gatun. The dam, constructed between 1907 and 1913, is a crucial element of the Panama Canal; it impounds the artificial Gatun Lake, which carries ships of thei ...

were closed. The water level was about above sea level and was expected to fill to operating levels in the next six months.

Construction

Created in 1913 by damming the

Chagres River The Chagres River (), in central Panama, is the largest river in the Panama Canal's drainage basin. The river is dammed twice, and the resulting reservoirs—Gatun Lake and Lake Alajuela—form an integral part of the canal and its water ...

, Gatun Lake is a key part of the Panama Canal, providing the millions of litres of water necessary to operate its locks each time a ship passes through. When constructed, Gatun Lake was the largest artificial lake in the world. The impassable rainforest around the lake has been the best defense of the Panama Canal. Today these areas remain practically unscathed by human interference and are one of the few accessible areas where various native Central American animal and plant species can be observed undisturbed in their natural habitat.

Geography

Gatun Lake covers about . The largest island in the lake is

Barro Colorado Island Barro Colorado Island is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal. The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake in 1913. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part ...

, which was established for scientific study when the lake was formed, and is operated by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

. Many important scientific and biological discoveries of the tropical animal and plant kingdom originated here. Gatun Lake also provides drinking water for

Panama City Panama City, also known as Panama, is the capital and largest city of Panama. It has a total population of 1,086,990, with over 2,100,000 in its metropolitan area. The city is located at the Pacific Ocean, Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, i ...

and Colón.

Fishing

Angling Angling (from Old English ''angol'', meaning "hook") is a fishing technique that uses a fish hook attached to a fishing line to tether individual fish in the mouth. The fishing line is usually manipulated with a fishing rod, although rodless te ...

is one of the primary recreational pursuits on Gatun Lake. Non-native

peacock bass Peacock bass or Brazilian tucunaré are large freshwater cichlids of the genus ''Cichla''. These are diurnal predatory fishes native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins, as well as rivers of the Guianas, in tropical South America. They are someti ...

were accidentally introduced to Gatun Lake around 1967 by a local businessman, and have since flourished to become the dominant angling

game fish Game fish, sport fish or quarry refer to popular fish species pursued by recreational fishing, recreational fishers (typically angling, anglers), and can be freshwater fish, freshwater or saltwater fish. Game fish can be fish as food, eaten aft ...

in Gatun Lake. Locally called Sargento and believed to be the species ''Cichla pleiozona'', these peacock bass originate from the Amazon, Rio Negro, and Orinoco river basins. Although considered a premier game fish in their natural range, the introduction of the peacock bass to Gatun Lake had devastating effects on the local species. According to a report by the Smithsonian, native fish populations in the lake still have not recovered. Only one quarter the number of native fish species were found in a sampling taken in 2016.

Notes

References

''History Of The Panama Canal''
by Ira E. Bennett

by Colonel George W. Goethals {{Authority control Artificial lakes Panama Canal Lakes of Panama Reservoirs in Panama Colón Province Bifurcation lakes 1913 establishments in Panama