Cerrón Grande Reservoir

The reservoir is called Cerrón Grande after the hydroelectric dam that formed it, which itself was named after the property it was built on. The reservoir is known locally as Lake Suchitlán (Lago Suchitlán). == Geography ==

. The Cerrón Grande Reservoir is located in northern El Salvador and surrounded by the departments of Cabañas, Chalatenango, Cuscatlán, and San Salvador. The average flow of the Lempa River from the reservoir is about per second. == Ecology and tourism ==

The lake is populated by twelve of the country's fourteen native fish species as well as by many bird and plant species, making it a popular tourist destination.{{cite web|url=http://www.elsalvadorperspectives.com/2010/05/lake-suchitlan.html|title=Lake Suchitlan In 2005, the reservoir was declared a part of the Cerrón Grande Wetland in an effort to preserve the wildlife that live in the reservoir. Common tourist activities on the reservoir include birdwatching, boat rides, and kayaking. == History ==

In 1973, President Arturo Armando Molina began the construction of the Cerrón Grande Hydroelectric Dam, and it was fully flooded by December 1976. The area that was flooded included several villages, fertile farmland, grazing land, and archeological sites of the Lenca people; around 12,000 people were displaced from this area, and another 9,000 were relocated in the three Core Relocation settlements. Part of the main road connecting Chalatenango to El Coyolito was flooded and had to be rebuilt, and direct access from Chalatenango to Suchitoto was severed. == Contamination and pollution ==

According to the International Ecological Engineering Society (IEES), the reservoir is one of the most contaminated and polluted bodies of fresh water in Central America. (as much as of feces monthly). == Gallery ==

Lago de Suchitlán.jpg|A boater on the reservoir. Barco saliendo, Puerto San Juan, Lago Suchitlán.jpg|A boat leaving San Juan. Aves migratorias en el Lago Suchitlan.jpg|Birds on the reservoir. Cerrón Grander Reservoir from San Juan.jpg|View of the reservoir from San Juan. Vista al lago desde la cascada.JPG|View of the reservoir from Los Tercios. Vista hacia San Francisco Lempa, Lago Suchitlán.jpg|View of the reservoir from San Francisco Lempa. == See also ==