Pajares Reservoir, Reservoir in Spain

Pajares Reservoir is an artificial reservoir in the municipality of Lumbreras de Cameros, La Rioja, Spain, inaugurated in 1995. Its dam is a 73-metre-high, 501-metre-long gravity dam built with loose materials and an internal core. The reservoir covers 161.74 hectares, holds 35.29 hm³, and lies at about 1,200 metres in the Iregua basin, collecting the Piqueras, Lumbreras and Lavieja rivers.

The reservoir was completed in 1995 with an impermeable core designed to store water and control river flow for irrigation and agricultural use in the region. The construction of the dam required the flooding of the village of Pajares, displacing its residents to nearby communities like San Andrés and Lumbreras de Cameros.

The reservoir lies in the Sierra de Cebollera natural park and takes its name from the village of Pajares, submerged when the dam was built; its residents were moved to San Andrés and Lumbreras de Cameros. The N-111 national road runs along its shore, and the water is used for drinking supply and irrigation control.

The reservoir is easily reached from the N-111 national road and offers walking and cycling trails of varying difficulty around the water. The best time to visit is spring, summer, and autumn when weather is mild and paths are easy to navigate.

The reservoir flooded the historic village of Pajares, forcing residents to resettle elsewhere, a silent reminder of the project's impact on the land. Wildlife such as birds and small animals make their homes in the vegetation and along the shoreline around the water.