DAM AND RESERVOIR BETANIA
Dam and Reservoir Betania is located 38 Km. Of Neiva, and is considered
one of the most important sources of the region, besides being an ideal place
for water sports, relaxation and fishing energy. It is a large-scale dam
built at the mouth of the Magdalena River Yaguará River, in the municipalities
of Campoalegre, Hobo and Yaguará (Colombia).
HISTORY
In 1949 one capital engineering firm
presented the first studies of the proposed dam Betania and evaluate their
costs EN6 million. The Power Plants board Huila, preferred tocontinue
advancing the project Iquira river hydroelectric plant.
1954. Natural Engineer Carlos Manrrique of Santa Fe de Bogota, technical
manager of Power Plants of Huila, runs the department looking energy
potential; and the report made to the Express board the special conditions
offered by the Magdalena river in different places, but especially today Jagua
called Bethany.
They hire new studies in 1967 with the signing Salgado Piedrahita and Escallón
Bethany energy project, but gave no light.
In 1971-7 September, the governor of Huila Polanía Hector Sanchez officially
informed the Board of Directors of the Electrificadora the unique possibilities
that are due to find that Dr. Misael Pastrana Borrero, achieved the approval
and financing of the project of Bethany.
LOCATION
It is located 35 kilometers south of Neiva, by the way leading to the
Municipality of Yaguará and allowed to pass through the Recreational Center
"El Juncal" Inspection and beautiful Bethany, the Municipality of
Palermo. Built at the mouth of river Yaguará on the Magdalena River,
between the towns of Campoalegre, Hobo and Yaguará. Since 1987 he began generating
electricity and in 2005 sold 2.737 GHz.
The reservoir with 7400 hectares water mirror stores 2 billion cubic meters of
water.
The dam has several purposes: power
generation, control the flow of the Magdalena River to irrigate land and fish
farming. It covers an area of 70 square km. Its total volume is 1,971
million cubic meters with installed capacity of 540 Mega Watts. The dam is also
a tourist attraction because in this Department held annually Water
Festival. Dam received debris from the eruption of the Nevado del Huila
killing large number of fish that inhabit the dam. Bethany has become the main
production center bream or red tilapia in Colombia. Fish farming in cages with
about 85 projects of large, medium and small farmers have managed to
consolidate this primary production line, and with the addition of a Management
Plan is expected to Piscícola future viability of this alternative source of
employment and dynamic economic. Also around this reservoir it has
established tourism and water sports as a development alternative. The
tourist will find a permanent sun with 27 oC, and nice breeze. Skiing,
sailing and diving can be practiced in this inland sea of warm, calm
waters. His landscapes allow camping, fishing and
relaxation. The resort of St. Helena is one of the many hosting sites that
offer comfort and relaxation.
In Yaguará the tourist will find
a pier where you can participate in tours of the famous navigable
"Ferri". Bethany is the ideal complement to a
fantastic Tourism Plan, in keeping with the thermal waters of the town of
Rivera, the desert of Tatacoa in the municipality of Old Villa, and Archaeology
Parks of St. Augustine and Isnos and the obligatory visiting these
municipalities to jump drones and the Strait of Magdalena.
