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| Reservoir Elías Calles | |
|---|---|
| Name | Elías Calles Reservoir |
| Other name | Presa Elías Calles |
| Location | Sonora, Mexico |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Inflow | Yaqui River |
| Outflow | Yaqui River |
| Basin countries | Mexico |
| Area | 47 km² |
| Volume | 2.5 km³ |
| Created | 1942 |
| Dam | Plutarco Elías Calles Dam |
| Operated by | Comisión Nacional del Agua |
Reservoir Elías Calles is a major artificial lake in the state of Sonora in northwestern Mexico, formed by the Plutarco Elías Calles Dam on the Yaqui River. The reservoir is a key feature in regional water management, intersecting with agricultural, energy, ecological, and tourism systems tied to cities and institutions such as Hermosillo, Ciudad Obregón, and the Comisión Nacional del Agua. It functions within a network of 20th-century Mexican hydraulic projects connected to political figures like Plutarco Elías Calles and infrastructure programs influenced by international engineering firms and agencies including the United States Bureau of Reclamation.
The reservoir occupies a valley in the Yaqui basin and serves multiple roles: irrigation for the Yaqui Valley agro-industry, municipal supply for urban centers like Huatabampo and Navojoa, flood control for downstream communities, and limited hydroelectric generation. Its creation altered hydrological linkages among tributaries such as the Río de la Trinidad and reshaped socio-economic relations involving landowners, agribusinesses, and ejidos under policies associated with the Mexican Revolution and subsequent agrarian reform. The facility is administered within frameworks set by federal institutions including the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales and state agencies in Sonora.
Planning for the dam began in the 1930s amid national initiatives to modernize infrastructure promoted by presidents like Lázaro Cárdenas and administrators connected to Plutarco Elías Calles. Construction commenced in the early 1940s, with engineers and contractors drawing on techniques used by projects such as the Miguel Alemán Dam and international precedents like those at the Hoover Dam. Labor forces included local campesinos, seasonal workers from the Yaqui people communities, and migrant labor linked to regional rail lines operated by companies like the Kansas City Southern de México. The project was completed and impoundment began in 1942, formal inauguration ceremonies involving political figures and technicians marked its opening. Over subsequent decades, upgrades to gates and spillways were executed with consultations from agencies like CONAGUA and scientific input from universities including the Universidad de Sonora.
Located within the Yaqui River watershed, the reservoir interacts with climatic regimes influenced by the North American Monsoon and orographic effects from the Sierra Madre Occidental. Surface area and storage fluctuate seasonally with inflows from tributaries and runoff from catchments that include parts of San Miguel de Horcasitas municipality. Sedimentation patterns reflect erosion in upland watersheds, comparable to processes documented in reservoirs like the Presa Miguel Alemán. Hydrological management balances releases to maintain downstream flows toward the Gulf of California and estuarine systems near Guaymas.
The impoundment created lacustrine habitats that host fish species such as introduced tilapia populations and native cyprinids, with avifauna including migratory waterfowl and raptors observed by ornithologists from institutions like the Colegio de Sonora. Riparian vegetation shifted from seasonal floodplain assemblages to reservoir shoreline communities, affecting amphibians and aquatic invertebrates monitored by researchers linked to the Instituto Nacional de Ecología y Cambio Climático. The reservoir lies along migratory corridors used by species studied in conservation programs associated with the Ramsar Convention and regional biodiversity assessments.
Primary use is irrigation for the Yaqui Valley agro-export economy producing cotton, wheat, and vegetables shipped through ports such as Guaymas. Municipal water supply supports populations in Hermosillo and Ciudad Obregón via distribution infrastructure maintained by state utilities. Recreational activities include boating and sport fishing popular with residents from urban centers and visitors arriving through transport links like Mexican Federal Highway 15. A modest hydroelectric installation at the dam contributes to regional grids administered by the Comisión Federal de Electricidad.
Creation of the reservoir displaced communities including indigenous Yaqui settlements and altered ejidos under land reform statutes tied to the post-revolutionary state. Ecological impacts include fragmentation of aquatic corridors, sediment trapping, and changes in downstream estuarine productivity affecting fisheries near the Gulf of California. Water allocation disputes have involved agribusiness interests, municipal authorities, and indigenous representatives, sometimes adjudicated through agencies such as CONAGUA and courts that reference precedents in Mexican water law. Periodic droughts, exacerbated by climate variability linked to phenomena like El Niño–Southern Oscillation, strain storage and provoke social tensions over water rights.
The reservoir and dam bear the name of Plutarco Elías Calles, connecting the site to 20th-century Mexican political history and national narratives of modernization. Local festivals, angling competitions, and heritage tourism draw visitors from Sonoran cities and neighboring states, with cultural programming coordinated by municipal tourism offices in Huatabampo and Navojoa. Nearby archaeological sites and mission-era churches in the region link recreational visits to broader cultural itineraries promoted by state cultural institutions like the Instituto Sonorense de Cultura.
Management combines federal oversight by Comisión Nacional del Agua with state agencies and community water user associations, applying integrated watershed management principles advanced by organizations such as the World Bank and academic collaborators including the Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora. Conservation initiatives target invasive species control, sediment management, and restoration of riparian corridors with participation from NGOs and research centers. Adaptive management seeks to reconcile irrigation demands with ecological flows in accordance with Mexican environmental law and international best practices.
Category:Reservoirs in Mexico Category:Sonora