CARITE DAM

This dam is located in the Southeastern of Puerto Rico a six miles to the North of Guayama (Carite District). It is arrived at the same one by highway PR-179 from Caguas to Guayama or by PR-7741 (Panoramic) from Cayey. The Lake is formed by a land dam of 104 feet of height in the superior part of La Plata River. Its normal capacity is of 11,310 acre feet in the elevation of overflowing of 1783.6 feet on the level of the sea. The surface of the full lake is of 333 acres and has around three miles in length. Its maximum depth is of some 70 feet.

The dam that forms the reservoir was constructed in the channel of La Plata River in 1913 for Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. Their waters were used for hydroelectric generation in three plants near Guayama; now single it is used for consumption domestic servant and agricultural irrigation. There are intentions to rehabilitate the generation plant partially. The water uses cross as a tunnel whose entrance this in the South part of the Lake. The served waters arrive at the Guamaní River. The river basin of where it receives his waters has an extension of 7.92 miles square.