Peñol Guatapé Reservoir

 

What is it?

 

It is a Colombian reservoir located in the east of Antioquia in the municipalities of Guatapé and Peñol that is joined by this large reservoir, which provides 35% of the energy in Colombia, this being a great development in the hydroelectric industry, whose capacity is 1200 cubic meters of water, coming from the Nare and Rionegro rivers, This reservoir not only has the function of generating energy but also regulating the flow of the reservoir, storing water from wet periods to use during periods of drought, in addition to this it is also in charge of supplying drinking water to all towns that are connected to this, The Peñol de Guatapé reservoir is a dam visited by thousands of people, this being a cultural heritage and a very beautiful place for its wonderful view, since in this there is a monolith (a large stone block) that is representative for its colorful landscapes.

 

Location

Located 62 km from the east of Antioquia, this reservoir being the union of the town of El Peñol and Guatapé, with 2,200 hectares of extension, which forms a landscape with a great variety of emerald green lakes, this can be seen better in the Piedra del Peñol which is a physical characteristic of this reservoir, which has a height of 220 meters with 740 steps, that when you reach the top you will have an incredible view of the reservoir.

Ecotourism

GUATAPICNIC is the best ecological tourism activity in Guatapé, a place where the magic and energy generated in the dam come together to give you a different day surrounded by water, trees, lots of nature and lots of love sharing in a delicious picnic on the dam islands. boat, islands and picnic all in one place.

How it was formed?

Before  there was no industrial plenitude of the capital of the department of Medellín. Around 1926 a new strategy was devised to be able to generate energy for the country, a combination between natural and industrialization, such as hydroelectric plants. And in 1978 the flooding of the Guatapé reservoir was carried out with the waters of the Nare River, this by idea of ​​the Public Companies of Medellín (EPM), as expected, not all the population agreed with this decision but no matter how many pretexts would have arisen, the construction of the reservoir that today we know as the Peñol de Guatapé was carried out.

How does it work

Dams, in general, are built in the course of a river, storing water that is then released into narrower flows with high pressure. This is driven towards a turbine connected to an electrical generator (see infographic) transforming part of the mechanical energy into electrical energy. Once the process is finished, the water is returned to the river. This can be seen reflected in the following infographic

Characteristics of a Guatápe Reservoir and Peñol de Guatápe

- The purpose of a reservoir is to regulate river courses, drive hydroelectric power plants, accumulate drinking or irrigation water, that is, to make rational and intensive use of hydraulic resources.

- The bottom and most of its banks are composed of natural soil.

- The soil of the reservoir, and especially the soil near the dam, is subject to strong hydraulic pressures.

- There are different types of reservoirs: storage reservoirs (their main function is to retain water for the regulated use of irrigation, electricity generation, population supply, recreation or navigation, forming large vessels or artificial lagoons), tailings reservoirs (their main function is to retain liquids and some solids produced by mining production, which are stored for decanting).

- The Peñol de Guatápe reservoir is classified as a dendritic reservoir with an axis greater than that of the Nare River, the ecological relationships are closely linked to the main tributary hydrodynamics.

- Some of its limnological characteristics (a branch of ecology that studies continental aquatic systems, including organisms and their interaction with the environment) are:

* The presence of nitrogen in the form of nitrites is an indicator that water quality is being affected to a lesser degree by organic pollution.

- Its characteristic green color is due to the large presence of cyanobacteria which are located at the bottom of this, and which by its large amount prevents this water is not drinkable.

Problems

The Peñol reservoir is one of the most important water sources in the country, which in recent years has presented several problems.

Such as the presence of cyanobacteria in the reservoir, caused by the great contamination by industries and the community, giving the water a strong greenish color; this being a risk to the health of people and the species that live there. This is a great problem due to the high contamination of the basin supplied by the reservoir, connected by several water bodies, harming these and those people who have low resources and do not have drinking water if they do not survive with the collection of contaminated water from the reservoir, presenting diseases by the consumption of is, like.

• Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting

• If it has contact with the skin, it can generate allergies, inflammations and eruptions on the mucosa

• If inhaled by motor spray, in the case of boats, it can cause cough, cold or fever.

Another problem that the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir presents is contamination, by solid and liquid waste, in which they have found a great variety of chemical products that are affecting this reservoir, which is a point that connects different dams that are also being affected. due to the lack of responsibility in the care of the individual reservoir and in society

Strategies implemented to improve the quality of the Peñol-Guatapé reservoir.

Companies such as the Epm group seek to "contribute to the care of the hydrographic basins that supply their systems and reservoirs, in their direct operations, in the ecosystems located in the areas of influence of the projects, works and activities of their businesses, and in the relationship with their stakeholders" in accordance with their objective as an entity for the protection and care of the environment, they have proposed the following challenges and campaigns for improvement:

According to the Epm group the protection and care of the hydrographic basins is of vital importance with the environmental services provided by the availability of these water resources, in order to provide sustainability of the fauna and flora of that territory, thus ensuring that this is maintained for a long time and does not represent a threat of contamination for the fauna around it or the human health of the inhabitants near this reservoir.

Conclution

These water reservoirs always have problems in their composition either because of the industry or because of the people who live around this reservoir. The solution we propose is to create an environmental mentality, with recycling campaigns and cans so that the different plastics and disposable materials that people consume and leave thrown away can be deposited. This in order to improve both the quality of the water and the salvation of the surrounding animals. Thus maintaining high the purification of the resource and the life of the beings that depend on these sources.

Gallery

Search sources

https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/nacional/guatape-una-laguna-de-lagrimas/

https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/CMS-3987358

https://www.municipiodeguatape.gov.co/publicaciones/145/historia--de-guatape/

https://es.scribd.com/doc/85412692/Caracteristicas-de-los-embalses

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/262507466_Caracteristicas_limnologicas_del_embalse_El_Penol-Guatape_Colombia

 https://2018.sostenibilidadgrupoepm.com.co/pdf/15.pdf

 http://www.cornare.gov.co/SIAR/Plan-de-manejo/DRMI-Embalse-Penol-Guatape/Plan_Manejo_DRMI_Penol_Guatape_y_cuenca_alta_Rio_Guatape.pdf

https://es.slideshare.net/aldars/embalses

 https://revistas.udem.edu.co/index.php/ingenierias/article/view/223

  https://repository.udem.edu.co/handle/11407/848

https://docplayer.es/79957976-Caracteristicas-limnologicas-del-embalse-el-penol-guatape-colombia.html

https://www.eltiempo.com/archivo/documento/MAM-807384#:~:text=Gracias%20a%20las%20aguas%20de,principal%20cadena%20h%C3%ADdrica%20del%20pa%C3%ADs. 

https://repository.ucatolica.edu.co/bitstream/10983/15482/1/CARACTERIZACI%C3%93N%20HIDROL%C3%93GICA%20DE%20LOS%20EMBALSES%20DESTINADOS%20PARA%20GENERACI%C3%93N%20DE%20ENERG%C3%8DA%20EN%20LA%20REGI%C3%93N%20ANTIOQUIA.pdf

http://aventurecolombia.com/es/destino/guatape-y-el-penol-de-guatape#:~:text=Es%20considerado%20patrimonio%20cultural%20y,los%20escalones%20construidos%20(649). 

https://viajandox.com.co/guatape/embalse-penol-guatape-A2866