Santillana reservoir

Santillana reservoir
Manzanares del Real reservoir
Embalse de Manzanares el Real
Embalse de Santillana (Spanish)
General view of the reservoir from nearby mountains La Pedriza
Santillana reservoir is located in Spain
Santillana reservoir
Santillana reservoir
LocationCommunity of Madrid, Spain
Coordinates40°3′17.9″N 3°49′49.3″W / 40.054972°N 3.830361°W / 40.054972; -3.830361
Typereservoir
Part ofTagus basin
Primary inflowsriver
River sourcesManzanares river
Basin countriesSpain
Managing agencyCanal de Isabel II
Confederación Hidrográfica del Tajo
DesignationProtected area (part of Parque regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares)
Built1907 (1907)
1969 (1969) (renewal)
Construction engineerB Diaz y Diaz
First flooded1971 (1971)
Max. width30 km (19 mi)
Surface area1,052 ha (2,600 acres)
Water volume91 hm3 (74,000 acre⋅ft)
Shore length1{anuel}
Surface elevation863 m (2,831 ft)
SettlementsManzanares el Real
Soto del Real
Colmenar Viejo
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Santillana reservoir, also known as Manzanares el Real reservoir (Spanish: embalse de Santillana or embalse de Manzanares el Real), is a body of water along the Manzanares river located in the municipalities of Manzanares el Real and Soto del Real, in the Community of Madrid, in the centre of Spain. It has a maximum surface of 1052 ha, the longest distance between opposites shores reaches 30 kilometres (19 mi), and the total volume of the reservoir is 91 hm³. The first dam was built in 1907, but in 1969 a new and higher dam was built. This new construction was 5 m higher, which allowed the reservoir to have a volume twice as large as before.

The second and present dam, built in a period of 12 months, began its service in 1971. Its foundations are located at an altitude of 856.5 metres (2,810 ft) and the highest point of the dam is at 896.5 m (2,941 ft), with a total length of 1,355 m (4,446 ft).

Belonging to the Canal de Isabel II public company, it regulates the flow of the Manzanares river and an important part of the water supply to the city of Madrid and its surroundings. Smaller rivers Samburiel and Arroyo del Mediano also flow into the reservoir, which is part of the natural protected area called Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares. It is also part of the Site of Community Importance (SCI) Manzanares basin, with code ES3110004.[1]

  1. ^ "Cuenca del río Manzanares (ES3110004)". Natura 2000. European Environment Agency.