Lake Alajuela
Encyclopedia
Lake Alajuela is an artificial lake linked to the Panama Canal
. Alajuela serves as a reservoir
for the canal, which lies to the lake’s south-west. In early December 2010, Alajuela reached its highest-recorded water level, prompting authorities to close the Panama Canal for 17 hours. The canal reopened on December 9.
The Lake was formerly known as Lake Madden when the Canal Zone
was under US administration.
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a ship canal in Panama that joins the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and is a key conduit for international maritime trade. Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 vessels measuring a total of 309.6...
. Alajuela serves as a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
for the canal, which lies to the lake’s south-west. In early December 2010, Alajuela reached its highest-recorded water level, prompting authorities to close the Panama Canal for 17 hours. The canal reopened on December 9.
The Lake was formerly known as Lake Madden when the Canal Zone
Canal Zone
Canal Zone may refer to:* Panama Canal Zone, the former United States territory* Suez Canal Zone, the informal zone around the Suez Canal in Egypt...
was under US administration.