Gatun Lake


Gatun Lake is a mostly freshwater reservoir to the south of Colón, Panama. At approximately above sea level, it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama. It was created June 27, 1913 when the gates of the spillway at Gatun Dam were closed. The water level was about above sea level and was expected to fill to operating levels in the next six months.

Construction

Created in 1913 by damming the Chagres River, Gatun Lake is a key part of the Panama Canal, providing the millions of litres of water necessary to operate its locks each time a ship passes through. When constructed, Gatun Lake was the largest artificial lake in the world. The impassable rainforest around the lake has been the best defense of the Panama Canal. Today these areas remain practically unscathed by human interference and are one of the few accessible areas where various native Central American animal and plant species can be observed undisturbed in their natural habitat.

Geography

Gatun Lake covers about. The largest island in the lake is Barro Colorado Island, which was established for scientific study when the lake was formed, and is operated by the Smithsonian Institution. Many important scientific and biological discoveries of the tropical animal and plant kingdom originated here.
Gatun Lake also provides drinking water for Panama City and Colón.

Fishing

is one of the primary recreational pursuits on Gatun Lake. Non-native peacock bass were accidentally introduced to Gatun Lake around 1967 by a local businessman, and have since flourished to become the dominant angling game fish in Gatun Lake. Locally called Sargento and believed to be the species Cichla pleiozona, these peacock bass originate from the Amazon, Rio Negro, and Orinoco river basins. Although considered a premier game fish in their natural range, the introduction of the peacock bass to Gatun Lake had devastating effects on the local species. According to a report by the Smithsonian, native fish populations in the lake still have not recovered. Only one quarter the number of native fish species were found in a sampling taken in 2016.