Lake Péligre, Reservoir in the Centre department, Haiti
Lake Péligre is an artificial reservoir on the Artibonite River in Haiti's Centre department, the country's second-largest lake after Étang Saumâtre. Its surface covers 3,200 to 6,400 hectares depending on the season, averaging 4,800 hectares. Water level swings of 22 metres follow releases by Électricité d'Haïti; depth at the dam ranges from 150 metres in the February–April dry season to 172 metres in October–December. The green water comes from heavy plankton growth fed by river sediment.
The Péligre Dam was built between 1956 and 1957 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to generate electricity and control flooding of the Artibonite River. The project displaced thousands of local families whose farmland and homes were submerged, reshaping the region's landscape and communities.
Paul Farmer argued that flooding the fertile Artibonite valleys in the 1950s pushed many Haitian families into poverty. Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains names Brown & Root as a contractor on the Péligre Dam project. The lake's green water, rich in plankton and organic sediment, supports fishing today.
The lake is about three hours from Port-au-Prince by car and is best visited in early morning to enjoy clearer light and cooler temperatures. Bring plenty of water, wear comfortable clothing for walking or boat rides, and be prepared for sunny weather in the mountains.
The lake's level swings by 22 metres as Électricité d'Haïti releases water for the dam; surface area shifts between 3,200 and 6,400 hectares, averaging 4,800. Depth at the dam runs from 150 metres in the February–April dry season to 172 metres in October–December.
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