Embalse del Castro de las Cogotas, embalse de la provincia de Ávila
Embalse del Castro de las Cogotas is a large water reserve in the province of Ávila in Castilla y León, sitting above 1,050 meters in elevation. An impressive concrete arch dam holds the water, stretching over 300 meters across a narrow valley, with calm surface and open rural landscape surrounding it.
The dam was built in 1994 and replaced an older stone dam from the early 1900s called the Verdeja dam. The new structure was designed to store water for irrigation and drinking water for cities like Ávila while generating hydroelectric power.
The reservoir takes its name from an ancient Celtic hillfort nearby, whose ruins visitors can still see close to the water. The site connects old history with modern water management, forming a place where people have lived with and used the land for thousands of years.
The area is sparsely developed and can be reached by road from Ávila. There are no large tourist facilities at the dam itself, but nearby villages like Cardeñosa and Mingorría offer simple places to stay and eat.
Next to the dam, a small hydroelectric plant with modern Francis turbines was built to generate electricity for nearby communities. The facility faced unexpected financial difficulties when its operating company filed for bankruptcy in 2014, a surprising fate for a structure completed just decades earlier.
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