Alqueva Dam

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Alqueva Dam

• The Alqueva Dam is in Alentejo on Guadiana river
  which is shared with Spain. The direct influence
  of this Enterprise includes 19 councils, about an
  area of 600 thousands of hectares. It allows the
  irrigation of the whole area, what contributes
  for a new agriculture and to the tourist
  development.

Forwad
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Alqueva Dam

• Maximum height 96 metres
• Volume 4150 hm3, 3150hm3 its useful capacity.

For this construction a million of cubical metres
of cement was necessary.
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Components

• 1-    Unloaders of Surface
• 2- Hydroelectric-power Central office
• 3- Unloaders of Deep Way
• 4- Alqueva Lagoon
• 5- Pedrogão Lagoon

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Hydroelectric-power central office of Alqueva

• Equipped with two bombs /turbines with power of
  120 mW each (its production in average year
  would be the double of the energy necessary to
  supply the councils of Beja and Évora, 350
  Gwh/year).

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Objectives    

• Constitution of one strategically reserve of
  water
• Guarantee of regular water supplying
• Gradual changing of the traditional model of
  agriculture in Alentejo
• Reinforcement of the capacity installed for the
  production of electric energy
• Creation of tourist potentialities
• Fight against the human desertification
• Organized intervention of the of the
  Environmental and Patrimonial authorities
• Enliving of the regional job market .

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History
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1968 The Portuguese - Spanish Covenant is
celebrated for the use of the international
rivers concerning Alqueva.

• 1957 First references to Alqueva Enterprise,
  through the Alentejo Irrigation Plan.

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1976-1979 First works in Alqueva. Since then the
enterprise passed through many changings.

• 1993 It is finally decided that the project has
  to go on. In this exactly year, it was created
  the Installing Commission of the Company of
  Alqueva, later the EDIAs company.

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1995 The works restart in Alqueva.

• 1996 The Government decides to go on with the
  Alquevas Project, with or without communitarian
  financing.

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1997 The PEDIZA is approved and the involvement
of E.U. in the project is established .

• 2002 The works finish. On 8th February the
  floodgates are closed...

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Curiosities
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What is EDIA?

• EDIA is a anonymous society of public capitals,
  exclusively responsible for the conception,
  execution, construction and exploration of the
  Enterprise of Multiple Ends of Alqueva.

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Does Alqueva affect the environment?

• The Alqueva will cause environmental changings,
  with positive impacts which result from the
  existence of a water plan with 250 km2.

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Will Alqueva be the biggest Portuguese dam?

• No. The Alqueva dam will be the seventh biggest
  dam in height, but it will possible to create the
  greatest Portuguese lagoon, in capacity and area.
  

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In drought periods will Alqueva guarantee the
water supply?

• In a full time, the Alqueva Lagoon guarantees all
  the water system (public supplying, agriculture,
  industries and energy production) for at least 3
  consecutive years of drought.

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Is there enough water to fill in the lagoon?

• Yes, there is. The average abundance of the
  Guadiana river guarantees the Alqueva Lagoon
  wadding in two years. However, if the Winters
  will be rainy, it can be full in some months. In
  drought periods it might be full in a year or
  two.

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Why is Alqueva known as "Mother of Water"? 

• Because the water that will be stored guarantees
  all its distribution for the system.

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Pictures

• Here you will be able to find a set of pictures,
  not only of the Alqueva Dam, but also others that
  in some way are related to this Enterprise!

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Mafalda S. 8º3 nº 11