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24-557: Created in 1913 by damming the Chagres River , Gatun Lake is a key part of the Panama Canal, providing the millions of litres of water necessary to operate its locks each time a ship passes through. When constructed, Gatun Lake was the largest artificial lake in the world. The impassable rainforest around the lake has been the best defense of the Panama Canal. Today these areas remain practically unscathed by human interference and are one of

48-414: A great variety of biological disciplines. Only the larger fauna disappeared from Barro Colorado after the lake was flooded in 1914. Many scientific studies have been conducted to document the changes in the species composition of the island. Hundreds of scientists conduct research projects on Barro Colorado Island every year. In 1978, Thomas Croat published his Flora of Barro Colorado Island documenting

72-484: A sampling taken in 2016. Chagres River The Chagres River ( Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtʃaɣɾes] ), in central Panama , is the largest river in the Panama Canal 's watershed. The river is dammed twice, and the resulting reservoirs — Gatun Lake and Lake Alajuela —form an integral part of the canal and its water system. Although the river's natural course runs northwest to its mouth at

96-404: Is located in the man-made Gatun Lake in the middle of the Panama Canal . The island was formed when the waters of the Chagres River were dammed to form the lake in 1913. When the waters rose, they covered a significant part of the existing tropical forest , but certain hilltops remained as islands in the middle of the lake. It has an area of 15.6 km (6.0 sq mi). The island

120-455: Is rugged, with its mountain slopes exceeding 45 degrees in 90 percent of its territory. Some 98 percent of the park consists of old-growth tropical forest. The upper Chagres and its seven tributaries flow into Lake Alajuela (formerly Madden Lake), the reservoir created by the Madden Dam . As these rivers contribute 45 percent of the total water for the canal, the lake is an essential part of

144-583: The Caribbean Sea , its waters also flow, via the canal's locks , into the Gulf of Panama to the south. The Chagres thus has the unusual claim of drainage into two oceans . The upper Chagres River, its watershed , and the watershed of several tributaries lie within the Chagres National Park , created in 1985 to preserve the habitat and flow of water into the canal. The terrain of the upper Chagres watershed

168-700: The Barro Colorado Island titled World's Last Great Places: Rain Forests released in 2007. The first selection, titled Panama Wild: Rain Forest of Life features scientists from the Smithsonian's Tropical Research Institute and also highlights the battles for survival and partnerships among species within this rich ecosystem. In 1980, a 50-ha forest dynamics plot was established on Barro Colorado Island by researchers from STRI and Princeton University . The first census

192-466: The dominant game fish in Gatun Lake. It hits topwater lures, subsurface lures imitating bait fish, and a variety of fly patterns, and when hooked they fight energetically. They are unusual for preferring to feed during daylight hours. The Spanish commander Diego Cueto and his helmsman, Pedro de Umbria, visited the region in 1506. The Chagres River was explored in 1527 by Hernando de la Serna , who founded

216-404: The dynamics of two distinct tropical forests to be compared. Visitors are allowed on Barro Colorado Island. Access is, however, regulated by STRI. To visit the island, people must make a reservation with the staff and arrange for a tour. Tours generally include transportation to and from the island (often by boat from Gamboa), a 2–3 hour guided hike, lunch, and a visit to the museum. Hikes through

240-501: The few accessible areas where various native Central American animal and plant species can be observed undisturbed in their natural habitat. Gatun Lake covers about 470 km (180 sq mi). The largest island in the lake is Barro Colorado Island , which was established for scientific study when the lake was formed, and is operated by the Smithsonian Institution . Many important scientific and biological discoveries of

264-426: The high level needed for the locks to function correctly. The lake is also part of the navigational canal and provides drinking water for Panama City and Colon. At the time it was formed, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world. The impassable rainforest around Gatun Lake has been the best defense of the Panama Canal. Today, these areas have endured practically unscathed by human interference and are among

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288-444: The one the few accessible areas where various native Central American animal and plant species can be observed undisturbed in their natural habitat. Barro Colorado Island , which was reserved for scientific study when the lake was formed and is today operated by the Smithsonian Institution , is the largest island on Gatun Lake and renowned internationally. Many of the most important groundbreaking scientific and biological discoveries of

312-416: The plant species on the island. In 1999, Egbert Giles Leigh , who first visited the island in 1966, and now spends half his week there, published Tropical Forest Ecology : A View from Barro Colorado Island . In 2002 The Tapir's Morning Bath by Elizabeth Royte was published, chronicling the lives and work of scientists working on the island. National Geographic produced a documentary featuring

336-647: The river's mouth lies the Gatun Dam , which created Gatun Lake and provides hydroelectricity. Created in 1913 by the damming of the Chagres River, Gatun Lake is an essential part of the Panama Canal, which forms a water passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, permitting ship transit in both directions. The lake is essential to the canal's water supply, as it provides the millions of gallons of water at

360-548: The species Cichla pleiozona , these peacock bass originate from the Amazon, Rio Negro, and Orinoco river basins. Although considered a premier game fish in their natural range, the introduction of the peacock bass to Gatun Lake had devastating effects on the local species. According to a report by the Smithsonian , native fish populations in the lake still have not recovered. Only one quarter the number of native fish species were found in

384-421: The town of Chagres at its mouth and built the fortress of San Lorenzo. Goods were transported on foot from Panama City to the town of Cruces on the rio Chagres, and from there by sailboats on the river all the way to its mouth. This path, called Camino de Cruces , was very popular until the 18th century. The pirate Henry Morgan traveled the Chagres River to attack Panama City in 1670–71 . Not much attention

408-426: The tropical animal and plant kingdom originated here. Gatun Lake also provides drinking water for Panama City and Colón. Angling is one of the primary recreational pursuits on Gatun Lake. Non-native peacock bass were accidentally introduced to Gatun Lake around 1967 by a local businessman, and have since flourished to become the dominant angling game fish in Gatun Lake. Locally called Sargento and believed to be

432-533: The tropical animal and plant kingdom took place here. Gatun Lake encompasses approximately 470 square kilometres (180 sq mi), a vast tropical ecological zone part of the Atlantic Forest Corridor. Eco-tourism on Gatun Lake has become a valuable industry for Panamanians. Angling is one of the primary recreational pursuits on Gatun Lake. It is believed that the Cichla pleiozona species of peacock bass

456-479: The watershed of the canal zone. The lake has a maximum level of 76 metres (250 ft) above sea level, and can store one third of the canal's annual water requirements for the operation of the locks. Lake Alajuela is not part of the navigational route, so there are fewer restrictions on its water level than for Gatun Lake. Water from the reservoir is also used to generate hydroelectric power and to supply Panama City's fresh water. At 3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) from

480-458: The world. The Nature Monument has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International . The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) has a permanent research center on the island, dedicated to studying tropical forest ecosystems . Because the Island's diverse ecosystem has been very little altered by humans, Barro Colorado has been studied for over eighty years within

504-496: Was conducted in 1982 and recorded every free-standing tree and shrub in the plot of more than 1-cm dbh , totalling approximately 240,000 stems of 303 different species. It has been recensused every 5 years since 1985, allowing scientists to study the normal dynamics of the forest, as well as extreme events, such as El Niño . Another 50 hectares (120 acres) plot was later established in the Pasoh forest reserve , Malaysia in 1987, allowing

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528-568: Was focused on the river until the late 19th century, this time as part of the planning for construction of the Panama Canal . The Chagres River is the Panama Canal's chief source of water. The river's upper basin is covered by dense tropical forests. To protect that ecosystem, Panama created Chagres National Park in 1985. In 2000, bulk carrier "Bluebill" struck railway bridge crossing the Chagres River, near Gamboa, severely damaging bridge and severing rail route about midway between two terminals. Barro Colorado Island Barro Colorado Island

552-500: Was introduced by accident to Gatun Lake by a Panamanian aquarist and doctor in 1958. Locally called Sargento, these bass are not a native game fish of Panama but originate from the Amazon , Rio Negro , and Orinoco River basins of South America, where they are called Tucanare or Pavon and are considered a premier game fish. Since 1958, the Cichla pleiozona species has flourished and become

576-563: Was set aside as a nature reserve on April 17, 1923, by the U.S. Government. Initially administered by the Panama Canal Company under the direction of James Zetek , since 1946 Barro Colorado Island has been administered by the Smithsonian , together with five adjacent peninsulas, as the Barro Colorado Nature Monument. This Monument has an area of 54 km . It is among the most-studied areas of tropical forest in

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