El Dique Potrerillos, Mendoza, Argentina

Yesterday, I was finally was able to break out the tripod for some landscape work! (Thanks for the lakeside asado, Anna and Martín!)

So, here is yet another very short photo essay on the reservoir that sits in the mountains above Mendoza (about 45 minutes away by car).

First, some background…

–The dam was started in 1999 finished in 2003. It was, of course, controversial for all the usual dam reasons–cost, environmental concerns, it forced folks in the town of Potrerillos to move, river runners’ concerns, etc…

–It is an important source of hydroelectric power in the region, providing something like 1/5 of the power for the entire Mendoza Province (850 million kW hours says Wiki).

–Like our dams in the American Southwest, it is slowly filling up with silt and losing its storage capacity–and thus its flood control capacity.

–It looks like a turquoise gem nestled amongst the huge, stark, arid, rain-shadow mountains of the pre-cordillera and is quite popular with windsurfers.

Some images….