Florentino Ameghino Dam

Florentino Ameghino Dam
Location of Florentino Ameghino Dam
Official name Dique Florentino Ameghino
Country Argentina
Location Chubut Province
Coordinates 43°26′43.57″S 65°56′33.28″W / 43.4454361°S 65.9425778°WCoordinates: 43°26′43.57″S 65°56′33.28″W / 43.4454361°S 65.9425778°W
Status Operational
Construction began 1943
Opening date 1963
Dam and spillways
Impounds Chubut River
Height 113 m (371 ft)
Length 225 m (738 ft)
Reservoir
Creates Florentino Ameghino Reservoir
Total capacity 65,000,000 m3 (53,000 acre·ft)
Power station
Installed capacity 60 MW (80,000 hp)

The Florentino Ameghino Dam (Dique Florentino Ameghino) is a gravity dam in Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina, 140 kilometres (87 mi) west of the city of Trelew. The dam also protects the towns in the lower Chubut River valley from flooding.

The Florentino Ameghino is located on the Chubut River, which originates from snowmelt in the Andes. Work began on the dam in 1943, led by the engineer Antonio Pronsato; the dam was inaugurated in 1963. The dam has two Francis turbines of 30 megawatts (40,000 hp) each. The dam is currently operated by Hidroeléctrica Ameghino.

Adjacent to the dam is a town with approximately 200 residents called Villa Dique Florentino Ameghino. The dam takes its name from Florentino Ameghino, an Argentine naturalist, paleontologist, anthropologist and zoologist.

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