Canal Lauca

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.

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]

• Bolivian Chile Boundary
• Canal Lauca

18°18′S 69°21′W / 18.300°S 69.350°W / -18.300; -69.350