Brokopondo Reservoir

The Brokopondo Reservoir ( locally: Brokopondostuwmeer, officially: .. Prof.- Dr.- Ir. - W. - J. van Blommestein Lake, ndl Prof. Dr. Ir WJ van Blommesteinmeer ) is a reservoir in Suriname. It is named after the native Java Dutch hydraulic engineer Willem Johan van Blommestein. With approximately 1560 km ² area (depending on the water level a little more or less ) is one of the lake to the large lakes of the world.

Details of the structure

The dam was built in 1960 to 1964, reaching a height of 54 meters and dammed the river near the village of Suriname Brokopondo. In the vernacular, it is therefore also called simply Brokopondomeer. The length of the dam is with the secondary dams on the edge of the reservoir a total of 12 kilometers. The catchment area is 12,200 square kilometers.

1965, the hydroelectric power station was put into operation; the reservoir reached but until 1971 its optimum water level.

The dam was built to the processing of bauxite to alumina and then to aluminum in the aluminum smelter of Paranam by the Suriname Aluminum Company ( Suralco ) - a subsidiary of the Aluminum Company of America ( Alcoa) - to allow; a part of the electricity obtained will be forwarded to the capital Paramaribo.

Resettlement

Due to the flooding of residential areas had to be resettled, according to official figures, about 6,000 people, according to the affected Saramaccaner there were up to 10,000 people. Most affected by the resettlement site was the village Ganzee with about 2,000 inhabitants. Most new villages ( transmigratiedorpen ) originated downstream from the dam: inter alia Brownsweg, Klaaskreek, Nieuw Lombe and Nieuw Koffiekamp.

For the wildlife affected by the flooding of the operation Gwamba was carried out in the years 1964 and 1965.

Benefit

In addition to the generation of electricity are additional benefits of the dam, the easier development of the inland, pushing back the salt water boundary in the Suriname River, better irrigation facilities on the lower reaches of the river in the dry season, creation of tourist facilities and fishing.

However, especially since the rise in gold prices, the environment and nature around the reservoir by prospectors and the use of mercury always more vulnerable.

Tree population

After the templates required the approval of the dam operator, Suralco and the concession of the competent ministry, began in May 2004, the Brokopondo Watra Woods International NV ( BWWI ) with the harvest of flooded tropical woods. The trees are up to a water depth of 35 m precipitated by divers with pneumatic chain saws and processed in sawmills along the shore. This tropical wood should be partially qualitatively valuable than freshly cut trees because of the long storage under water.

Surnames

• Afobakastausee
• Blommesteinsee