Logbook · 15 places

Reservoir of Alarcón

Alarcón, La Manchuela Conquense, Cuenca

1 Villages · 9 Monuments · 2 Nature · 3 Curiosities

Spain › Castilla-La Mancha › Cuenca › La Manchuela Conquense › Alarcón › Reservoir of Alarcón

Reservoir of Alarcón

Nature · Alarcón, La Manchuela Conquense, Cuenca

The Alarcón reservoir extends over the upper course of the Júcar river, about six kilometres upstream from the town of Alarcón (La Manchuela Conquense, Cuenca), and is key to regulating the basin; downstream lies the small Henchidero dam. The project began in May 1937, during the Second Republic; work started in 1942 and the reservoir was inaugurated in 1955, though it was not considered finished until 1970. The dam, a concrete gravity dam, is 67 metres high and 317 metres long at the crest, and holds up to 1,112 cubic hectometres of water over 6,840 hectares. It is used for irrigation and regulation, with a power station generating 281,000 kW. The village of Gascas was left submerged beneath its waters, its remains surfacing when the water level drops.

Photo: Malopez 21 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What to see and do in Alarcón