The Mendoza River is a river in the province of Mendoza , Argentina . It is formed in the Andes range between the Aconcagua and the Tupungato , by the confluence of the Vacas , the Cuevas and the Tupungato rivers, the last being its major tributary.
8-503: Potrerillos Dam is located on the Mendoza River , in Argentina 's Potrerillos Valley . The dam was built between 1999 and 2003 by a consortium consisting of Industrias Metalúrgicas Pescarmona (IMPSA) and Cartellone to provide flood control, hydroelectricity and irrigation water. The dam cost US$ 312 million to construct. Located about 30 kilometres (19 mi) southwest of Mendoza ,
16-469: A 61 megawatts (82,000 hp) capacity. The entire hydroelectric complex generates upwards of 850 million kilowatt hours per year, or 20% of the electrical consumption in Mendoza Province . In December 2015, A helicopter which was being used for filming an MTV reality show The Challenge has crashed into the reservoir killing the pilot and a technician. Mendoza River The upper valley of
24-416: A total surface area of 1,500 hectares (3,700 acres). This has since decreased to 420,000 dam (340,000 acre⋅ft) with a surface area of 1,300 ha (3,200 acres). The reduction in capacity has threatened the flood control capability of the dam, with the concern that the emergency spillway may become inadequate to pass high flood flows as the reservoir loses its capability to retain them. Water from
32-472: The concrete-faced rockfill dam is 116 metres (381 ft) high and 395 metres (1,296 ft) long, impounding the 12 km (7.5 mi) long Potrerillos Reservoir. The dam and reservoir have lost significant storage capacity due to the high silt content of the Mendoza River. When the reservoir was first filled in 2003, the capacity was estimated at 627,000 cubic decametres (508,000 acre⋅ft), with
40-733: The Mendoza begins at around 2,600 metres (8,500 ft) above mean sea level , and it is U-shaped, of glacial origin. The river reaches Uspallata , then crosses the Precordillera through the Potrerillos Valley , flows along the Cacheuta Canyon and reaches the plain. It forms an arc and turns northeast, finally emptying into the Bañados de Guanacache , which join the San Juan River , part of
48-460: The reservoir is diverted into a series of two hydroelectric power plants, Power Station Cacheuta and Power Station Álvarez Condarco , with a combined capacity of 181 megawatts (243,000 hp). From the dam, a 4,274 m (14,022 ft) tunnel furnishes water to four Francis turbines at Cacheuta with a capacity of 120 megawatts (160,000 hp). The water then flows through a second tunnel to power three Francis turbines at Álvarez Condarco with
56-632: The summer). In Potrerillos the river is also dammed , forming a reservoir , which feeds a hydroelectric power station . The Cacheuta Spa and the Potrerillos Dam are tourist destinations along the river. Mendoza River irrigates the Maipú and Lujan vineyards , located in Mendoza piedmont , at 30° south latitude. This region hosts 17 percent of the Mendoza vineyards , and about 360 wineries. Download coordinates as: This article about
64-524: The system of the Desaguadero River . The river has a mean flow of 50 cubic metres per second (1,800 cu ft/s), and supplies water for the main oasis in the otherwise arid province. Its course through Potrerillos, at about 1,350 metres (4,430 ft) above sea level, features rapids , which are employed for rafting (level III–IV on the International Scale of River Difficulty during
#617382