| Lago di Auronzo | |
|---|---|
 The Lago di Auronzo | |
| Location | Auronzo di Cadore, Province of Belluno, Veneto, Italy |
| Coordinates | 46°32′38.35″N12°27′02.85″E / 46.5439861°N 12.4507917°E |
| Type | Artificial |
| Primary inflows | Ansiei |
| Primary outflows | Ansiei |
Lago di Auronzo, also known as Lake Santa Caterina, is an artificial lake located near the municipality of Auronzo di Cadore in the Dolomites of the Province of Belluno. [1]
In 1930, the SFIAC, Società forze idrauliche dell'Alto Cadore of Alessandro Marco Barnabò began construction of the dam to block the course of the Ansiei river, creating a basin about 2 kilometers long, capable of holding 6,250,000 cubic meters of water. [3]
The project and construction management of the dam were carried out by engineer Gino Visentini Scarzanella , with the collaboration of Gaudenzio Fantoli.
The dam itself is 55 m (180 ft) high, 35 m (115 ft) thick at the base, and 5.5 m (18 ft) at its crest. The works were completed in January 1932. The SFIAC was acquired by the SADE in 1932, nationalized by Enel in 1962. [3]
The name "Santa Caterina" comes from the fact that the dam ends where a small chapel from around 1500, dedicated to the saint, is located. [3] The lake used to host the Cadore Motorboat Grand Prix races, while today it hosts canoe-kayak championships. [3]