Puntos de Interés
Infrastructure
The Los Rábanos reservoir
The Los Rábanos reservoir dam is situated at the narrowest point of the hills of the village of Los Rabanos. The area is fed by the waters of the Duero River and offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy the tranquillity and company of nature.
Constructed in 1963, the dam was built for the purpose of gravity-fed electricity production and other industrial uses. However, it has also become an ideal tourist site, where fishing is permitted. The reservoir has a total surface area of 98 hectares and can store up to 8hm3, creating a spectacular water canyon through which the Duero River flows. The dam is 23 metres high and has a waterfall of 13.25 metres. It has been constructed with the objective of exploiting its energy potential, and as a result, the dam has been equipped with a power of 4,480 kW, which produced 9,207 MWh in 2004. Conversely, the upper part of the structure reaches a length of 170 metres, effectively closing the water passage.
The fractures in the rocks and the anticlinal and synclinal structures of the geological formations where the dam is located are noteworthy. In natural conditions, this area would act as a groundwater reservoir for the upper Duero. However, due to the presence of a sheet of water, it has become a drainage area for groundwater towards the tertiary materials.
Despite the creation of an attractive enclave resembling a small lake, the Conference on Hydrological Matters of the Duero River considers that the river course downstream has been greatly modified, creating a barrier effect and altering its natural course. This results in the disruption of the sediment and nutrient flow. The temperature of the water is modified, which impedes the passage of ichthyofauna and consequently damages the ecological potential. This dam is also a fishing ground where catfish, classified as an invasive exotic species, are fished. The site is of significant importance as it is one of three chosen by the Junta de Castilla y León as part of the Catfish Control Plan. The objective is to eradicate this species from the Duero River.