The Canal Lauca is an artificial channel to divert the waters of the Lauca River westward through a canal and tunnel into the Azapa Valley for purposes of irrigation in the valley and hydroelectric-power generation. Its construction began 1948 and water diversion began 14 years later from a dam located about 16 miles southwest of Lago Cotacotani Lake.
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The canal lies in the commune of Putre in the Arica y Parinacota Region of Chile. It is 33 kilometres (21 mi) long and has a capacity of 1.9 cubic metres per second (67 cu ft/s). [1] It transfers water from the Lauca River into the Rio San Jose for irrigation [2] and hydropower purposes; the endpoint of the canal includes the Chapiquiña power plant which produces 56 gigawatt-hours per year (6.4 MW). [3] Typically about 0.8 cubic metres per second (28 cu ft/s) are transferred; [3] a plan to transfer additional water from Lake Chungara was blocked after litigation by an environmentalist group. [4]
The canal was put into service in 1962 and is owned by the government of Chile. [1] As a consequence of the construction of the canal, the surface of irrigated land in the Azapa valley increased. This also led to increased immigration from Bolivia into Chile. [5] The construction of the canal led to protests by Bolivians [6] and appears to have primarily favoured large agribusiness. [7]
The Lauca River originates at the Laguna Cotacotani, which in turn receives seepage water from Lake Chungara. [8] It first flows due westward before turning south and later back east into Bolivia. [9] After draining a watershed of 2,350 square kilometres (910 sq mi), the river ends in the Salar de Coipasa of Bolivia. [8]
