Ships follow marked channels amongst the hilltop islands.

Gatun Lake (Sp. Lago Gatún) is a large artificial lake situated in the Republic of Panama; it forms a major part of the Panama Canal, carrying ships for 33 km (20 miles) of their transit across the Isthmus of Panama. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x1000, 108 KB) Photo of Gatun Lake in Panama, taken 2 January 2000 by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages link to this file: Panama Canal Gatun Lake User:Stan Shebs/Gallery/Places ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1500x1000, 108 KB) Photo of Gatun Lake in Panama, taken 2 January 2000 by User:Stan Shebs File links The following pages link to this file: Panama Canal Gatun Lake User:Stan Shebs/Gallery/Places ... A reservoir (French: réservoir) is an artificial lake created by flooding land behind a dam. ... A canal tug making its way down to the Caribbean end of the canal waits to be joined by a ship in the uppermost chamber of the Gatun Locks. ... The Isthmus of Panama. ...

The lake was created between 1907 and 1913 by the building of the Gatun Dam across the Chagres River. At the time it was created, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world, and the dam was the largest earth dam. 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1913 (MCMXIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Gatun Dam is an earth dam created in the early 20th century as a main element in the construction of the Panama Canal. ... The Chagres River (Spanish: Río Chagres) is a river in central Panama. ...

Description

The lake is situated in the valley of the Chagres River. It was formed, and the river widened and deepened, by the construction of the Gatun Dam about 10 km (6 miles) from the river's mouth in the Caribbean Sea in 1907–1913. The geography of the area was ideal for the creation of a large lake here; the hills bordering the valley of the Chagres open up widely around the area of the lake, but come together to form a gap just over 2 km (1.4 miles) wide at the location of the dam. The damming of the river flooded the originally wooded valley; almost a century later, the stumps of old mahogany trees can still be seen rising from the water, and submerged snags form a hazard for any small vessels that wander off the marked channels. The Chagres River (Spanish: Río Chagres) is a river in central Panama. ... Gatun Dam is an earth dam created in the early 20th century as a main element in the construction of the Panama Canal. ... Map of Central America and the Caribbean The Caribbean Sea is a tropical body of water adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean and southeast of the Gulf of Mexico. ... 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1913 (MCMXIII) is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...

Gatun Lake has an area of 425 km² (164 square miles) at its normal level of 26 m (85 ft) above sea level; it stores 5.2 billion cubic metres (183,000,000,000 ft³) of water, which is about as much as the Chagres River brings down in an average year. To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... To help compare different orders of magnitudes this page lists volumes between 1 and 10 cubic kilometres (109 to 1010 m³). See also volumes or capacities of other orders of magnitude. ...

With the creation of the lake many hilltops became islands. The biggest and best known of them is Barro Colorado Island, home of the world famous Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Barro Colorado Island is an island located in the Lake Gatún portion of the Panama Canal. ... http://www. ...

The lake has given its name to the Gatun structure, which is believed to be an impact crater. The Gatun structure is probably an impact crater named after the nearby Gatun Lake at the Republic of Panama. ... This article is about impact craters, also known as meteor craters. ...

Role in the canal

Southbound sailboats entering the Banana Cut on Lake Gatún have their sails set to get a boost from the trade winds.

Gatun Lake forms a major component of the Panama Canal; the lake, including the flooded arm extending up the Chagres River, makes up 32.7 km (20.3 miles) of the raised part of the waterway, the other part being the 12.6 km (7.8 mile) Gaillard Cut. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x668, 103 KB) Summary Sailboats making their way towards the Pacific via the Panama Canal enter the Banana Cut in Lake Gatún. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1024x668, 103 KB) Summary Sailboats making their way towards the Pacific via the Panama Canal enter the Banana Cut in Lake Gatún. ... A canal tug making its way down to the Caribbean end of the canal waits to be joined by a ship in the uppermost chamber of the Gatun Locks. ... The Gaillard Cut, or Culebra Cut, is a man-made valley cutting through the continental divide in Panama. ...

The canal follows a clearly marked route around the lake's islands, following the deeper water south from Gatun Locks, and then east. A small "shortcut" channel, the "Banana Cut", runs between the islands, providing a slightly shorter route through the lake; this is used by canal launches and yachts to cut a little time off the crossing, and to avoid the heavy ship traffic.

The lake is also important as a reservoir of water for the operation of the canal locks. Each time a ship transits the canal, 202,000 m³ (53 million U.S. gallons) of water is passed from the lake into the sea; with over 14,000 vessel transits per year, this represents a very large demand for water. Since rainfall is seasonal in Panama, the lake acts as a water store, allowing the canal to continue operation through the dry season. A reservoir is an artificial lake created by flooding land behind a dam. ... The Panama Canal Locks, which lift ships up 25. ...

A major factor in water regulation is the ability of the rainforest in the lake's watershed to absorb rainfall, releasing it gradually into the lake. However, significant deforestation of the watershed has cleared away much of the vegetation, and reduced the area's water capacity. This has resulted in falling water levels in the lake during the dry season. Coupled with the massive increase in canal traffic since its opening, and the resultant increase in water usage, this is an ongoing problem for the canal (see Panama Canal: Water issues). A watershed is a region of land where water drains downhill into a specified body of water, such as a river, lake, sea, ocean or wetland. ... Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest. ... A canal tug making its way down to the Caribbean end of the canal waits to be joined by a ship in the uppermost chamber of the Gatun Locks. ...

References

• History Of The Panama Canal, by Ira E. Bennett

• The Panama Canal, by Colonel George W. Goethals

ALICIA IS HOTT A canal tug making its way down to the Caribbean end of the canal waits to be joined by a ship in the uppermost chamber of the Gatun Locks. ... A canal tug making its way down to the Caribbean end of the canal waits to be joined by a ship in the uppermost chamber of the Gatun Locks. ... After decades of work, the canal finally opened in 1914. ... One of the greatest challenges facing the builders of the Panama Canal was dealing with the tropical diseases rife in the area. ... The Panama Railway or Panama Railroad was the worlds first transcontinental railroad. ... The Gaillard Cut, or Culebra Cut, is a man-made valley cutting through the continental divide in Panama. ... Gatun Dam is an earth dam created in the early 20th century as a main element in the construction of the Panama Canal. ... The Chagres River (Spanish: Río Chagres) is a river in central Panama. ... The Panama Canal Locks, which lift ships up 25. ... The two ships seen here seem almost to be touching the walls of the Miraflores Locks. ... Bridge of the Americas is a bridge, in Panama City, that spans the Pacific entrance to the Panama Canal, it is the only bridge that connects the north and south American land masses. ... Panamas Centennial Bridge (Puente Centenario) is a major bridge crossing the Panama Canal, and hence connecting North and South America. ... The Panama Canal Authority (Spanish: Autoridad del Canal de Panamá, or ACP) is the agency of the government of Panama responsible for the operation and management of the Panama Canal. ... The Panama Canal Zone was a 553 mile² (1,432 km²) territory inside of Panama, consisting of the Panama Canal and an area extending 5 mi (8. ...