Cerro de Oro Dam
Encyclopedia
The Cerro de Oro Dam also called the Miguel de la Madrid Hurtado Dam, is on the Santo Domingo River
in the San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec
municipality of the Papaloapan Region
of Oaxaca
state in southern Mexico
.
The dam operates in conjunction with the Miguel Alemán Dam
, located on the Tonto River
to control floods in the Papaloapan basin in Veracruz
state.
Construction began in 1973 and the dam was completed in May 1989.
About 26,000 people were displaced by the project.
Water quality in the reservoir is poor and deteriorating, affecting fish catches.
river below the dam to form the Papaloapan river, which is joined by the Tonto river to the north of the city of San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec and meanders northeastward through the Veracruz
coastal plain to the Gulf of Mexico
. The Papaloapan river basin was subject to frequent flooding, with the damage sometimes compounded by cyclones. A particularly severe flood in September 1944 covered 470,000 hectares, with great loss of life and property. The Miguel Aleman dam reduced the problem, but further floods occurred after it had been completed in 1955. A flood in 1958 covered 195,000 hectares and one in 1969 covered 340,000 hectares.
Meanwhile the drainage capacity of the Papaloapan river was being reduced by silt carried by the Santo Domingo river.
The Papaloapan river Commission recommended building the Cerro de Oro dam on the Santo Domingo river, which would reduce the extent of floods to a manageable level. The combined reservoir of the two dams would also support increased power generation from the Miguel Alemán dam.
The reservoir covers 22,000 hectares, joined by a channel to the 47,800 hectare reservoir formed by the Miguel Alemán, giving a combined capacity of 13,380 mm3.
There are plans to add hydroelectric generation capacity to the dam, delivering about 10.8 megawatts.
The original plan had been to move the people to the area immediately below the dam, but this was frustrated by large landowners in the target region.
The move, mostly of Chinantec
people, took place in two stages, ending up in 30 new villages in the Uxpanapa
region of south-central Veracruz
.
The government bulldozed and burned large areas of the northern Selva Zoque
forest to allow for farming in the new settlements, with mixed results.
The displaced people later complained that the government had not met its promises in the amount of land allocated.
The government denied making such promises, and stated that the people had not owned the flooded land since time immemorial and therefore were not entitled to compensation, although land had been provided.
Santo Domingo River (Oaxaca)
The Santo Domingo River in Oaxaca state, Mexico is one of the main tributaries of the Papaloapan River, rising in the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca and flowing east towards San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec, above which it joins with the Valle Nacional River to form the Papaloapan.Carrying sediment from the...
in the San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec
San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec
San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec , or simply referred to as Tuxtepec, is the head of the municipality by the same name and is the second most populous city of the Mexican state of Oaxaca....
municipality of the Papaloapan Region
Papaloapan Region, Oaxaca
The Cuenca del Papaloapan Region is in the north of the state of Oaxaca, Mexico where the foothills of the Sierra Madre de Oaxaca meet the coastal plain of Veracruz.The principal city is San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec, the second largest in Oaxaca state....
of Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
state in southern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
The dam operates in conjunction with the Miguel Alemán Dam
Miguel Alemán Dam
The Miguel Alemán Dam is on the Tonto River in the Papaloapan Region of Oaxaca state in southern Mexico, just upstream from the town of Temascal or Nuevo Soyaltepec, forming the Miguel Alemán Lake with an area of 47,800 hectares....
, located on the Tonto River
Tonto River
The Tonto River is a river of Oaxaca, Mexico that flows from the mountains of Zongolica. It is dammed by the Miguel Alemán Dam near the town of Temascal or Nuevo Soyaltepec, forming the Miguel Alemán Lake....
to control floods in the Papaloapan basin in Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
state.
Construction began in 1973 and the dam was completed in May 1989.
About 26,000 people were displaced by the project.
Water quality in the reservoir is poor and deteriorating, affecting fish catches.
Purpose
The Santo Domingo joins the Valle Nacional RiverValle Nacional River
The Valle Nacional River is a river of Oaxaca state in Mexico.The river originates in the Sierra Juárez, Oaxaca.The ecology of the region, originally one of pine forests, is threatened by logging, agriculture and grazing....
river below the dam to form the Papaloapan river, which is joined by the Tonto river to the north of the city of San Juan Bautista Tuxtepec and meanders northeastward through the Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
coastal plain to the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
. The Papaloapan river basin was subject to frequent flooding, with the damage sometimes compounded by cyclones. A particularly severe flood in September 1944 covered 470,000 hectares, with great loss of life and property. The Miguel Aleman dam reduced the problem, but further floods occurred after it had been completed in 1955. A flood in 1958 covered 195,000 hectares and one in 1969 covered 340,000 hectares.
Meanwhile the drainage capacity of the Papaloapan river was being reduced by silt carried by the Santo Domingo river.
The Papaloapan river Commission recommended building the Cerro de Oro dam on the Santo Domingo river, which would reduce the extent of floods to a manageable level. The combined reservoir of the two dams would also support increased power generation from the Miguel Alemán dam.
Structure
The dam curtain is a massive structure of packed earth and gravel.The reservoir covers 22,000 hectares, joined by a channel to the 47,800 hectare reservoir formed by the Miguel Alemán, giving a combined capacity of 13,380 mm3.
There are plans to add hydroelectric generation capacity to the dam, delivering about 10.8 megawatts.
Displaced population
Approximately 26,000 local people were forced to move.The original plan had been to move the people to the area immediately below the dam, but this was frustrated by large landowners in the target region.
The move, mostly of Chinantec
Chinantec
The Chinantecs are an indigenous people that live in Oaxaca and Veracruz, Mexico, especially in the districts of Cuicatlán, Ixtlán de Juárez, Tuxtepec and Choapan.The Chinantec languages belong to the Chinantecan branch of the Oto-Manguean family...
people, took place in two stages, ending up in 30 new villages in the Uxpanapa
Uxpanapa
Uxpanapa is a municipality lying in the southeastern part of the state of Veracruz , in Mexico. It is bordered by the municipalities of Jesús Carranza, Hidalgotitlán, Minatitlán, and Las Choapas in Veracruz, as well as Santa María Chimalapa in Oaxaca...
region of south-central Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
.
The government bulldozed and burned large areas of the northern Selva Zoque
Selva Zoque
The Selva Zoque , which includes the Chimalapas rain forest, is an area of great ecological importance in Mexico. Most of the forest lies in the state of Oaxaca but parts are in Chiapas and Veracruz....
forest to allow for farming in the new settlements, with mixed results.
The displaced people later complained that the government had not met its promises in the amount of land allocated.
The government denied making such promises, and stated that the people had not owned the flooded land since time immemorial and therefore were not entitled to compensation, although land had been provided.