Stone House Reservoir. Argentine dam created with the aim of regulating the flow of the Colorado River , controlling and attenuating floods, its use for enabling irrigation areas and hydroenergy production through 2 generating groups of 30 MW, with an average annual generation capacity of 240 GWh.
Summary
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- 1 Location
- 2 Toponyms
- 3 Description
- 1 Objective of construction
- 2 Clima
- 3 Fauna
- 4Fuente
Location
Between the provinces of La Pampa and Río Negro, Argentina, at 38º15’S, 67º30’W; 285 masl.
Toponymy
“Ruca-kura” in the Mapuche language is Casa de Piedra, this toponym is quite repeated in the Pampas-Patagonian and Andean areas. 1885 , appears registered, in the execution of the original measurements of the former National Territory of the central Pampa. There are two versions of its origin: one attributes the meaning to the existence of a house (“post”) whose stone walls, taking advantage of the calcareous blocks that can be easily obtained in the narrow walls.
The other version, which is believed to be true, refers to the general meaning of the toponym “Casa de Piedra”, in the many places that are repeated in the Patagonian and Andean areas, that is, the presence of caves, shelters or simply “eaves “On the cliffs or escarpments of the plateaus that can serve or have served as a refuge for man. Such “eaves” are abundant and of large dimensions on the left bank, downstream of the axis planned for the Dam.
Description
The Colorado River is born at the foot of the foothills of the Andes by the confluence of the Grande and Barrancas rivers and flows into the Atlantic Ocean . It constitutes the limit between the provinces of La Pampa and Río Negro. The Casa de Piedra reservoir is located on this river, 110 km downstream from the city of 25 de Mayo and 100 km upstream from the city of La Japonesa, both in the province of La Pampa.
The water mirror has a perimeter of 55 km of coastline, and extends over (at maximum normal level) 36,000 ha. The filling of the reservoir began around 1989 and it is estimated that it has a volume of water of around 4,000 hm³, with maximum depths that vary between 35 and 40 m.
Construction Objective
The objective of the construction of the reservoir was a multiple use: flow regulation to satisfy the irrigation needs of an agricultural development area of more than 3000 km 2 (in La Pampa and Río Negro); hydroelectric power generation and flood mitigation in the lower course of the Colorado River (southern Buenos Aires province ). Therefore, for its construction, an Executive Entity was created, made up of the Nation and the three provinces involved.
Climate
The climate can be considered “steppe”, continental, arid, without excess water throughout the year, with great daily thermal amplitude and with the possibility of early or late frosts.
Fauna
The regional fauna is typical of the Andean-Patagonian subregion and North Patagonian Subdistrict. In the waters of the reservoir the following fish species have been identified: “rainbow trout” (Oncorhynchus mykiss); “brown trout” (Pharian Psalm); “your king” (Odontesthes bonariensis); “Creole trout” (Percichthys sp.); “carp” (Cyprinus carpio); “overito” (Genynsia lineata); “squirrel” (Astyanax eigenmanniorum) and “squirrel” (Cheiredon interruptus).
