Embalse de Melonares, stuwmeer in Sevilla, Spanje
The Embalse de Melonares is a large water storage facility on the Viar River in Seville Province, completed in 2008. The structure consists of a curved concrete dam and holds about 251 million liters of water, which is transported through pipelines to supply the city of Seville and surrounding towns.
The project was planned in the 1970s and accelerated after a drought in the 1990s to protect Seville's water supply. Construction began in 2003 with the dam completed in 2007, while final pipeline work continued until 2018.
The name refers to the Melonares, a water course in the region. Today the surrounding area functions as a nature reserve where visitors walk quiet trails along the water and experience the vegetation typical of Sierra Morena's landscape.
The site is accessible by car and offers quiet walking paths to explore the surroundings, with various viewpoints over the facility and the protected natural area. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes and respect the protected zone, especially in early mornings when birds and wildlife are most active.
A notable feature is the integrated protected zone nearly as large as the flooded area, specifically created for water birds like herons and kingfishers. This combination of modern infrastructure and active habitat protection makes it unusual among Spanish dams.
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