Pantà del Pasteral, dam in La Cellera de Ter, Catalonia

Pantà del Pasteral is a reservoir on the river Ter formed by a gravity dam in La Cellera de Ter, extending into Amer. The current dam wall stands 34 m high with a 150 m crest, a volume of 26,000 m³ and a reservoir surface of 35 ha. Its seven gates once fed irrigation, drainage and a canal to the Burés factory in Anglès.

The first project for a dam at the Plantadís site dates from 1779, and a regulating weir was built at the pla de Canet del Pasteral in 1825. In 1885 the textile firm Burés i Salvadó began the dam to power its Anglès factory; the plant started in 1905 with 1,600 horsepower. The wall was raised 6 m in 1960 and the dam was rebuilt in 1962 to supply drinking water to Barcelona.

The name comes from the Pasteral neighbourhood of La Cellera de Ter, where the dam stands. The reservoir is used for rowing, sailing and motor boating at under 3 knots, and its banks are noted for flora and fauna. The right bank, next to the dam, holds the diversion that supplies drinking water to Barcelona and other towns.

The reservoir is accessible via the old road to La Cellera de Ter, with a parking area near a restaurant before crossing the old bridge over the river. From there, it is easy to walk down to the water and explore the surrounding area.

On the right bank, right beside the dam, stands the complex from which water is diverted to supply Barcelona and other towns; the connection dates from the 1962 reform carried out by Juncadella i Burés, SA and Hidroeléctrica de Cataluña, SA. The dam also works as a counter-reservoir for the Sau and Susqueda plants, releasing a constant flow into the Ter.