embalses

Embalse, en español embalse (plural embalses), is a man-made reservoir formed by damming a river or other watercourse. It creates a storage lake behind the dam to hold freshwater for storage, regulation, and later use. Embalses are designed to store varying volumes of water and to provide a reliable supply during dry periods or variable rainfall.

Dams used to create embalses come in several types, including gravity, arch, and buttress concrete dams, as well as earthfill and rockfill dams. The characteristics of a reservoir—its capacity, surface area, and water level fluctuations—depend on the dam design, the topography of the basin, and the catchment area. Over time, sediment transported by the tributaries can fill the reservoir, reducing storage capacity and affecting operations.

The purposes of embalses are diverse. They provide municipal and industrial water supply, irrigation for agriculture, and hydroelectric power generation. They also help with flood control by capturing peak flows and, in many regions, support recreation, tourism, and downstream environmental management through regulated releases. In some cases, reservoirs are managed to maintain ecological flows and water quality downstream.

Environmental and social impacts are important considerations in reservoir projects. The creation of embalses can require resettlement, alter aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, affect fisheries, and change sediment transport. Reservoirs also experience evaporation losses and, in tropical or humid zones, may affect methane emissions from submerged organic matter. Proper assessment and ongoing management aim to balance water security with environmental stewardship.