History of Lake Suchitlan in Suchitoto
What is lake Suchitlan?
Lake Suchitlan, or more formally known as the Cerrón Grande Reservoir, is an artificial lake in El Salvador created between 1973 and 1976 with the construction of the Cerrón Grande Hydroelectric Plant on the Lempa River. Its name means “Place of Flowers” in Nahuatl (Pre-Columbian language), and although its formation flooded fertile lands and displaced communities, it became the largest freshwater body in the country with 135 square kilometers and a depth of 60 meters. It is also an important source of electric power and tourism.
Life before the lake construction
At the end of the 1960s, life on the banks of the Lempa River was as simple as it could be. People dedicated to growing crops in the river banks. Lived out of the harvest and the fishing in the river. There were no roads to access the communities in the riverside. All of a sudden, the local people started seeing 4×4 trucks and jeeps coming into their communities, people spraying red paint in the trunks of trees and boulders.
When the locals asked about their presence there and why the painting, they said the paint is to indicate the level where they supposed the water flood would reach when the dam is finished. The people asked what will happen with their community, their houses and their land?. They said that there is an office in Suchitoto where they could go and get some money so they could go away and start over somewhere else.
A lot of these people had nowhere to go to complain, so they went to talk to the local priest that advised them in the agriculture in the riverbanks. The priests organised demonstrations with them to protest for the unconsulted construction of the dam. Some of the people that were displaced ended up participating in the civil war as combatants.
In the dry season, when the level of the water is the lowest of the year, tourists can see remains of the buildings before the dam was built. Tourists can see cemeteries and graves popping out of the water at some points. The school of the flooded community of El Tablon can also be seen standing on one of the shores of the lake.
It is said that with the construction of the lake, the temperature went up 2 celsius degrees in Suchitoto due to the reflection of the sunrays from the water.
Details of the project
Meaning and Current Importance
Purpose of the construction: The lake was created to house the Cerrón Grande Hydroelectric Plant, with the purpose of generating most of the country’s electricity.
Construction period: The reservoir was filled between 1973 and 1976. It took three years to reach the current level of the flood.
Territorial impact: The creation of the lake flooded more than 15,000 manzanas of land and altered the geography, connecting three departments: Chalatenango, Cuscatlán, and Cabañas.
Origin of the name: The name “Suchitlán” was coined by cultural figure Alejandro Cotto, by combining the first part of “Suchitoto” and the last part of “Cuscatlán.” The composition of both parts of words in the Nahuatl language, the name means “Place of Flowers.”
COME SEE IT WITH US
You can come and enjoy the lake by going with Gringo Tours on one of our tours to the islands, birdwatching or a boat tour to see the sunset from the lake.
Contact us and we will arrange the best experience here.