Pantà de Foix, embalse en España
Pantà de Foix is a reservoir built on the Foix River in Alt Penedès, featuring a water surface of about 66 hectares surrounded by nearly 79 hectares of wetland. The arc-gravity dam made of stone and concrete holds back a wide expanse of water across a valley, with gates that regulate flow and canals that have distributed water to nearby towns since 1943.
Construction began in 1907 following plans by Pelegrí Ballester and other experts, with completion in 1928 to secure water for irrigation and drinking purposes. The project arose from the need to improve agriculture in this dry region through water storage, with systematic irrigation through canals becoming possible from 1937 onward.
The reservoir now serves locals and visitors as a place for outdoor relaxation rather than strictly for water supply. The surrounding landscape reveals how rural communities adapted to harness natural water resources for farming and daily life.
The area is crisscrossed with walking paths ranging from short family walks to longer loops around the entire reservoir. There are two bird observation points, one accessible for those with limited mobility, and the water itself is not suitable for swimming or water sports.
The reservoir shows signs of sediment buildup on its bottom, which has gradually reduced its storage capacity since completion. This natural infilling process reminds visitors that even human engineering structures are subject to nature's slow transformation.
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