Sobradinho Reservoir

The Sobradinho Reservoir (Lago de Sobradinho) is a large reservoir located in Sobradinho, north of the Brazilian state of Bahia. The reservoir measures approximately 320 km long, 4214 km2 in surface area, and a storage capacity of 34.1 km3 at its nominal elevation of 392.5 m, making it the 15th largest reservoir (artificial lake) in the world. The lake encloses the waters of the São Francisco River, one of the largest and most important rivers in Brazil. The reservoir, which represents 60.4% of the hydroelectric power resources of the Northeast of Brazil, has conditions to guarantee the power supply for the region for two years but its water level is highly variable. In some drought years the energy supply is threatened.