Venezuelan Drought Reveals Long-Drowned Town; Reservoir Level Within 10% Of Dead Pool

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Before its flooding, this Andean town of around 1,200 in the western state of Tachira was evacuated and its residents dispersed around the country. Garcia moved to a nearby region, and had never revisited her former town until now. Normally, only the church spire can be seen jutting out of the 4,900-acre (20-square-km) reservoir. But water levels recently fell 98 feet, revealing eerie remnants: the church, demolished houses, a cemetery, a square. The spire usually serves as a depth gauge for the water reservoir, whose falling levels are a grim reminder of electricity shortages across the country.

President Hugo Chavez earlier this month declared an electricity emergency in Venezuela, where hydropower usually accounts for 68 percent of electricity generation. The crisis provoked one state electricity company to organize a meeting among its workers to pray for an end to the crisis. "We have been observing with preoccupation over the last week the reduction in water supplies to the dam," said Juan Barillas, president of the state company that manages the dam.

CUTS LOOM

The reservoir is now within 10 feet of its "critical level" to feed power turbines. Its Leonardo Ruiz Pineda hydroelectric plant, the third largest in Venezuela, is operating at under 10 percent of its 300 MW/hour capacity, to keep water levels from falling further. The plant may soon be forced to further slash generation, Barillas said, since there is little rain in the regional forecast. The reservoir now appears to be falling faster than a 0.4-inch (1-cm) per day average rate earlier this month.

A recent report by Edelca, one of the state water companies, warned of a national electricity grid collapse by May unless drastic measures are taken. Chavez has said the country's largest hydroelectric dam, Guri, could reach critical level in June if the drought continues.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61N63820100224