Três Marias Dam

BW

The Três Marias Reservoir ( Portuguese Lago de Três Marias or Represa Três Marias ) in Brazil is one of the largest reservoirs of the earth. It is located south of Três Marias, a small town in the northwest of the state of Minas Gerais on the river São Francisco. Up to Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, the distance is 276 km away and the Brazilian capital Brasília 438 km.

Dam and reservoir of Três Marias

The dam was built from 1957 to 1961 during the presidency of Juscelino Kubitschek in record time. Was carried out in two layers, and about 10,000 workers were employed.

The purpose of the dam was flood control, improvement of navigability, the use of water power for development of industry and irrigation.

The dam is one of the largest earth dams of the earth. He is more than 75 m high and 2700 m long and has a base width of 600 m. The associated hydroelectric power plant, which is named after Bernardo Mascarenhas, makes 396 MW.

The reservoir, which is also "Fresh Sea of ​​Minas " is, 21 billion cubic meters summarizes, has a water surface of 1040 square kilometers and extends over eight municipalities.

Origin of the name

For the origin of the name Três Marias there are several versions.