Agua del Toro Dam, Arch dam and hydroelectric power station in Mendoza Province, Argentina
Agua del Toro is an arch dam spanning 325 meters across the Diamante River in Mendoza Province, creating a reservoir that holds 326 million cubic meters of water. Two Francis-type turbines at the facility generate power that feeds into the regional electricity network.
Construction began in 1966 and the structure was completed in 1973, with the power station officially entering service in 1982. The project was developed to harness hydroelectric resources in the Mendoza region.
The reservoir, the second largest in Mendoza Province, is best known among anglers for pejerrey fishing, a relatively little-exploited destination. The dam also regulates the Diamante River together with Los Reyunos and El Tigre, allowing irrigation of 90,000 hectares downstream and protecting riverside settlements from floods.
The dam lies 63 km west of San Rafael on the Diamante River, reached by regional roads through arid terrain with about 200 mm of rain a year. The reservoir covers 1,085 hectares and fishing is concentrated on pejerrey. Bring water and sun protection; the concrete wall and rocky slopes give almost no shade.
Positioned at 1338 meters elevation, the dam employs an arch design that transfers water pressure directly to the surrounding canyon walls rather than relying solely on the structure's thickness. This approach uses the natural landscape to reinforce the dam itself.
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