Alqueva: 12 January 2010. Albufeira reached maximum level (152 meters) for the first time.
it was there 7 year old, 12 January 2010. The Bayou Alqueva Dam reached first, the maximum capacity, making it the largest artificial lake in Europe.
The rain that fell in those last weeks in the region bathed by the reservoir, situated on the Guadiana River, led to the stored water level had reached the maximum quota 152 meters, entre as 14:00h e as 15:00h, do dia 12 January 2010, according to measurements made by the then Development Company and Alqueva Infrastructure (EDIA).
This corresponds to a volume of water stored 4.150 cubic hectometres and full storage level at elevation 152 meters (see here the current quota), one meter below the maximum full level so that the reservoir is prepared.
The influx of water that reached Alqueva and weather forecasts for the following days led the company to open on the afternoon of that day, dam floodgates for “a free flow”.
After opening of locks in alqueva, also the dam of Pedrogão, located 23 kilometers downstream, He started unloading the Guadiana river. The Civil Protection Services, accompanied and monitored the operations.
The fill the maximum dimension, He went to edia, “the fulfillment of the first objective of the project Alqueva: the establishment of a strategic water reserve, capacity to cope with three consecutive years of drought, with availability guarantee for public supply, agriculture and energy production”.
The reservoir began to fill the 08 February 2002, when they closed the floodgates, Alqueva is the largest artificial lake in Europe, with a flooded area 250 square kilometers and about 1.100 kilometers margins.
