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With nearly five decades of operation, the Sobradinho reservoir in Bahia has transformed the landscapes, cities, and economies of the sertão. Its monumental scale provides energy and regulates the São Francisco River, maintaining strategic importance for the Northeast.
Sobradinho, in the north of Bahia, has the largest artificial body of water in the country and remains the centerpiece of the São Francisco River.
With 4.214 km² at the reference level and about 320 km extension, the reservoir is part of the system chef and fulfills a double mission: power generation e flow regulation along the main river in the Northeast, supporting the electricity supply and multiple water uses in several states in the basin.
Location and dimensions in the semi-arid region of Bahia
Created by the damming of the São Francisco River, the lake occupies areas of caatinga in a strip that reaches the surroundings of Juazeiro (BA) e Petrolina (PE).
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The water slides along a backwater for long stretches and, in wider spots, forms extensions that residents identify as a “sea of the backlands”.
This territorial scale reconfigured landscapes, routines and circulation routes in dozens of communities.
Energy functions and role in the river ruler
The Sobradinho plant adds 1.050 megawatts de installed power, distributed across six generating units.
More than just producing electricity, the dam acts as a regulator of the São Francisco River: in dry seasons, it cushions inflow losses; in floods, it coordinates outflows to reduce downstream risks.
This operation is the foundation for the performance of plants located below, on the axis of Paulo Afonso, and for the predictability of urban catchments, projects of irrigation and excerpts from navigation river.
Storage capacity and operational rules
Under normal conditions, the lake accumulates approximately 34,1 billion cubic meters.
The operation follows technical parameters that define maximum and minimum level ranges, in addition to minimum flow rates mandatory.
The so-called depletion range guides daily decisions: whether to release more water to meet energy and social demand or to retain it to replenish the volume and guarantee future supply.
This is a permanent balance, reviewed according to hydrological bulletins and climate scenarios.
Hydrology: oscillations and recent variability
The reservoir's behavior reflects the variability of the Northeast's climate. In years of robust inflows, recovery of useful volume is rapid.
In prolonged droughts, the system prioritizes the basin's water security.
Em April 2022, the level of Sobradinho reached 100%, something that hadn't happened since 2009, an episode that illustrates the alternation between flood and drought events and the importance of the reservoir as a buffer against extremes.
Navigation and regional integration
To preserve navigability on the stretch of Juazeiro–Petrolina, the project has lock, which allows the fleet to overcome the unevenness of the dam.
Thus, the connection between the upstream and downstream of the São Francisco River remains operational, although dependent on level conditions and passage windows.
The infrastructure facilitates regional transportation, connects production chains, and keeps the river tradition of the “Velho Chico” alive.
Territorial reconfiguration and memory of submerged cities
The formation of lake, in the 1970s, demanded the relocation of municipal headquarters.
New House, Remanso, Arcaded Pylon and Sento Sé had original urban areas submerged during the filling.
Almost 12 families were resettled in new locations planned to receive them.
In periods of severe drought, the retreat of the level reveals ruins that reappear in the landscape and reactivate memories of those who lived through the change.
The social impact continues to be documented in reports, archives and research that record material losses, emotional bonds and the reconstruction of identities.
National comparison and criteria of magnitude
In the cut by flooded area, Sobradinho leads in Brazil.
Reservoirs such as Itaparica e Furnas have significantly smaller surfaces.
The distinction is necessary because different metrics generate different readings: “larger in area” does not mean “larger in volume”.
Technical bodies and studies use the mirrored area as a reference to classify the territorial dimension of lagos artificial, while the volume explains the storage capacity and the regulatory function in the electrical and hydrological system.
Environmental effects and multiple uses of water
The presence of the large water mirror changes microclimates local, softens temperatures in the immediate surroundings and adds humidity to the air, with effects seen in agricultural activities.
At the same time, the expansion of irrigation in the São Francisco Valley requires clear rules for collections, grants and inspection.
The priority of use remains public and multipurpose, with energy generation and flow regulation at the top, without excluding artisanal fishing, community-based tourism and nautical practices that have been consolidated at specific points along the bank.
Dam safety and continuous monitoring
Because it operates on a large scale, the reservoir complies with dam safety protocols and structural and hydrological monitoring routines.
Contingency plans, inspections, and equipment testing are part of the project's day-to-day operations, with different procedures for periods of flooding and drought.
Governance involves agencies from the electricity sector, water resource managers, and civil defense agencies, in coordination with states and municipalities in the basin.
Urban transformations and new economic dynamics
The reconstructed headquarters incorporated planned layouts and public services designed for the resettled population.
With the lake as a reference, the local economy reoriented itself towards activities compatible with the water vocation of the territory, such as irrigated fruit growing, processing, logistics and services.
These changes brought permanent demands for ordering of use of the surrounding area, cadastral updating of areas subject to level variations and environmental monitoring to prevent irregular occupations.
Strategy for the future of the basin
Five decades after starting operations, Sobradinho remains decisive for the Northeast electrical matrix and for the water security of the São Francisco.
Maintaining its function multi-year depends on compatible upstream inflows, coordination between agents in the electricity sector and policies rational use of water throughout the basin.
In the context of climate variability, adaptive reservoir management tends to gain relevance, with greater integration between energy planning, irrigated agriculture, and urban needs.
What management paths should be prioritized to balance energy, water, and regional development without sacrificing the memory of the cities that were submerged?
Navigability between Juazeiro and Petrolina does not depend on a lock. The cities are flanked, even connected by a bridge (Presidente Eurico Dutra). The text may have intended to refer to the Juazeiro-Pirapora (MG) stretch.
It is the lack of REVIEW of the edition…
Juazeiro and Petrolina are cities TWINNED BY THE OLD CHICO, WET AND NAVIGABLE BORDERS; ISLANDS, BRIDGES, BEACHES AND LARGE-SCALE IRRIGATION PROJECTS...
I always knew that Sobradinho was the largest artificial lake not only in Brazil, but in the world.
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