Puntos de Interés
Hydrography
San José dam Reservoir
The San José dam, also known as the Castronuño dam, is a notable example of hydroelectric engineering located in the middle course of the Duero river, just 2 km from the town of Castronuño.
Prior to the construction of the dam, a mill was in the same area. The brick structure of the mill remained in place until the end of the 20th century.
The dam was designed by Juan Bautista Varela, an engineer, and José Cámara Rica, an architect. Its construction, which began in the 1930s and was completed in 1945, was overseen by Eduardo Torroja Miret, an engineer. The inauguration ceremony took place on 3 October of the following year, with Francisco Franco presiding.
The height of the dam above the theoretical foundation is 7-8 metres to the spillway and 13-14 metres to the crest footbridge. The total budget for this construction was 9,326,000 pesetas.
The Confederación Hidrográfica del Duero is responsible for the management of the infrastructure, having assumed control of the San José and Toro-Zamora irrigation canals since their construction in 1952. Both canals irrigate a total of 4,200 hectares and 7,400 hectares, respectively.
The gravity dam structure encompasses a reservoir with a surface area of 250 hectares and a maximum capacity of approximately 6 hm³.
This reservoir forms an integral part of the Riberas de Castronuño-Vega del Duero Nature Reserve, the only protected natural area in the province. The area offers a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking, cycling and mountain biking. Visitors can enjoy the unique environment where stone pines and cypresses coexist, as well as sightings of a variety of fauna, including herons, grebes, gallinules, tench, pronghorns, wild boar and wolves.