| Lake Alajuela | |
|---|---|
| Natural-colour satellite image of Lake Alajuela | |
| Location | Panamá |
| Lake type | Reservoir |
| Primary outflows | Panama Canal |
| Basin countries | Panama |
Lake Alajuela (Spanish: Lago Alajuela) is an artificial lake on the Chagres River created by the Madden Dam () and linked to the Panama Canal. Lake Alajuela serves as a reservoir for the canal, which lies to the lake’s southwest.[1] In early December 2010, Lake Alajuela reached its highest recorded water level, prompting authorities to close the Panama Canal for 17 hours.[1] The canal reopened on December 9.
The reservoir was formerly known as Madden Lake when the Canal Zone was under U.S. administration and was renamed after control of the canal reverted to Panama.[1]