Puntos de Interés
Hydrography
Salime Reservoir
The Salime Reservoir, situated amidst the Asturian municipalities of Grandas de Salime, Pesóz, and Allande, encompasses the dam commonly referred to as "Salto de Salime," located in the municipality of Grandas, just 4 km from the capital.
Initiated in 1946, the project involved redirecting the course of the Navia River through a tunnel, and building several silos, hoppers, cofferdams, and warehouses, and a 36 km cable car system. Spearheaded by civil engineer Enrique Becerril y Antón-Miralles, with collaborative efforts from architect Joaquín Vaquero Palacios, the dam was financed by the amalgamation of Hidroeléctrica del Cantábrico and Electra de Viesgo in 1945 under the name Saltos del Navia en Comunidad.
Constructed between 1948 and 1953, the dam, reaching a height of over 130 m and utilising more than 630,000 m³ of concrete, was inaugurated in August 1955. It is the third reservoir built on the Navia River, after the Arbón and Doiras reservoirs, and it stands as Spain's tallest dam and the second highest in Europe. Initially conceived for hydroelectric power generation, the reservoir's expansive size also invites various recreational activities such as fishing, swimming, and sailing.
The reservoir's creation led to the submersion of several traditional villages in both Asturias and Galicia, including Salcedo, Doade, Riodeporco, Vilagudín, A Quintana, Barqueiría, San Pedro de Ernes, and Barcela. Among these, Salime, the former capital of the council until Grandas' unification in the 19th century, now rests beneath the reservoir's waters.
In response to the extensive construction efforts, new villages and towns were established near the reservoir, intended to accommodate the 3,000 people involved in the construction of the dam and their families. A Paicega, situated within the Asturian council of Pezós, is a good example.
Several ornamental and decorative elements were incorporated into the dam's design by Madrid-based architect, sculptor, and painter Joaquín Vaquero Turcios. These include embellishments on the hydroelectric power station's entrance facade and the Boca de Ballena viewpoint, perched above the dam and reservoir.