El Portillo Reservoir, lake in Spain
El Portillo Reservoir is a water storage structure built on the Castril River in the town of Castril in Granada province, completed in 1999. The dam is constructed as a rockfill structure with a clay core, reaching approximately 80 meters in height and spanning about 330 meters across its crest, with a storage capacity of about 125 million liters.
The reservoir was built in the 1990s under engineer Joaquín Delgado García's design, taking approximately a year and a half to complete. Its completion in 1999 marked a shift in regional water management, making water from the Sierra Castril available for irrigation and drinking water supply to towns like Baza and Zújar.
The reservoir takes its name from the gorge where it sits and serves as a vital water source for farming and daily life in nearby villages. Local residents have adapted their routines around the water management that the dam provides.
The reservoir is accessible by car with parking nearby and requires no entry fee. Visitors should bring food, water, and comfortable shoes since there are no major facilities on site.
A planned tunnel project to connect this reservoir with the San Clemente reservoir was never completed in the 1990s due to environmental concerns and local opposition. This incomplete infrastructure remains a quiet reminder of the tension between water development and community resistance.
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