El Chocón Dam

The El Chocón Dam (officially the El Chocón–Cerros Colorados Complex) is one of the most iconic engineering works in Patagonia and the Argentine Republic. Located on the Limay River, in the northwestern region of Patagonia known as Comahue, it is 381 meters above sea level and approximately 80 kilometers upstream from the confluence of the Limay and Neuquén Rivers. Conceived as part of a strategic hydroelectric development and water regulation plan, El Chocón performs vital functions: regulating the flow of the Limay River, ensuring irrigation water in large areas of the Upper and Middle Valleys, and, above all, generating large-scale hydroelectric power. Its plant is the largest in Patagonia and one of the most important in Argentina, with an installed capacity of 1,260 MW. The dam's construction was carried out by the state-owned company Hidronor (Hidroeléctrica Norpatagónica S.A), and it marked a milestone in the history of Argentine public works. The first generator began operating in 1972, and the dam reached full generating capacity in 1977. During the period 1974–1995, the plant produced an annual average of 2,700 GWh, becoming a pillar of the national energy supply. As of 2025, the engineering project formally known as the Ezequiel Ramos Mexía Reservoir is still commonly referred to by the name of the settlement that served as the basis for its construction, Villa El C

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