Malpaso Dam

Malpaso Dam
view of the reservoir
Location of Malpaso Dam in Mexico
Official name	Represa de Malpaso
Country	Mexico
Location	Tecpatán, Chiapas
Coordinates	17°10′43″N 93°35′54″W / 17.17861°N 93.59833°W / 17.17861; -93.59833
Status	In use
Construction began	1958
Opening date	1966
Owner(s)	Comisión Federal de Electricidad
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Embankment
Impounds	Grijalva River
Height	137.5 m (451 ft)
Length	480 m (1,575 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity	10,596,000,000 m3 (8,590,317 acre⋅ft)[1]
Active capacity	9,600,000,000 m3 (7,782,847 acre⋅ft)[2]
Surface area	381 km2 (147 sq mi)[3]
Power Station
Commission date	1969-1977
Turbines	6 x 180 MW Francis-type
Installed capacity	1,080 MW

The Malpaso Dam, officially known as the Nezahualcóyotl Dam, is located in the Centro region of Chiapas, Mexico near the border with Tabasco and Veracruz. It was the first of several major dams built on the Grijalva River to generate hydroelectric energy and has the second largest reservoir in Mexico, after the Belisario Dominguez Dam. Construction of the dam occurred in the 1960s and flooded not only the riverbed but also hectares of rainforest and farmland, various towns and villages and archeological sites. These include the former town of Quechula, whose 16th century Dominican church will appear when water is at low levels, and the archeological site of San Isidro which contains one of only two known double Mesoamerican ball courts. Commissioning of the dam's 1,080 MW power station began in 1969 and ended in 1977. The reservoir and later construction of a federal highway has spurred ecotourism in the area.