The Panama Canal has activated the alert and surveillance level due to the increase in the levels of the lakes that supply the interoceanic route, because due to the rainy season the reservoirs are close to reaching the maximum limit according to NEWSROOM Panama
Constant monitoring
Luis Rovira, Vice President of Water Resources Management of the Panama Canal, said that they maintain constant monitoring according to weather conditions to measure the level of the lakes.
A flood control program
He stressed that a flood control program was established many years ago, with personnel working 24 hours a day, under the supervision of hydrologists and meteorologists on duty at the Canal, who are constantly monitoring the level of the lakes, the flow of the rivers and any storm or atmospheric situation that appears on the horizon
Gatún and Alajuela
. “The lakes in the canal, Gatún and Alajuela, are quite close to their maximum levels. Gatún is at about 88 feet with 0.7 and Alajuela is at approximately 247 with 73. The maximum level of Gatún is 89 and the maximum level of Alajuela is 252. Gatún is very close to its maximum limit and as I said, Alajuela is only 4.25 feet away from reaching its limit,” he said.
Flood control exercises
The Vice President of Water Resources Management of the Panama Canal also explained that flood control exercises are carried out annually with State entities. In this specific case this season, Rovira indicated that the communities surrounding the lakes were alerted, that preventive discharges would be made and the public recreational area Muelle Gallo near the Gatún dam was closed.
Prevent smaller vessels
In addition, there are teams monitoring the mouth of the Chagres River to prevent smaller vessels from using this area. The proposal for a water reservoir in the Indio River area could help to store water for times of drought. “We would have to have a place to store [the excess water] so that when summer comes or we have an extreme dry event, we have that water available to be able to bring it to the lakes of the Panama Canal and be able to comply.”
Source :NEWSROOM Panama
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