Sloman Dam, Historical hydroelectric dam in María Elena, Chile

The Sloman Dam crosses the Loa River and combines a generator house with water management systems built using early 20th-century engineering techniques. The entire installation shows how engineers of that era converted flowing water into electrical power.

The German businessman Henry Sloman built the dam between 1905 and 1911 with about 200 workers, to supply electricity to the nitrate offices of Buena Esperanza, Rica Aventura, Prosperidad, Grutas and Empresa. The hydroelectric plant was dismantled in 1965, and the dam was declared a National Monument on 15 January 1980. Since 1995 it has been administered under the bankruptcy of Isidoro Andía Luza, handled by Santiago's 11th Civil Court.

The structure shows how Chile developed its water management capabilities, with the machinery house displaying equipment from the early industrial era. It represents an important step in how the country harnessed its rivers for progress.

The dam lies on the Loa River in the María Elena commune, 186 km north of Antofagasta, near the Quillagua valley. The reservoir is completely silted up, so there is no open water to see. The site has been under the administration of the "Quiebra Isidoro Andía Luza" since 1995, handled by Santiago's 11th Civil Court, and was offered at judicial auction in early 2017; check access conditions before travelling.

The generator house windows frame the preserved mechanical parts and building details of the era when lit by morning sun. These moments reveal the careful craftsmanship of the original builders.