About Baixo Sabor Dam

Baixo Sabor is one of Portugal's newest large dams, completed in 2014 on the river Sabor in the Trás-os-Montes region of northeastern Portugal. The double-curvature arch dam rises 123 metres and impounds 1,095 million cubic metres, making it the second-largest reservoir in the country by capacity. Its primary purpose is hydroelectric generation, with a reversible pump-storage system that allows water to be pumped back upstream during periods of low demand. The dam's construction was controversial due to the environmental impact on the Sabor valley, one of the last free-flowing major tributaries of the Douro. Archaeological sites in the valley were extensively documented before flooding. The reservoir now stretches approximately 60 kilometres upstream, creating a narrow lake through the deep granite gorge of the Sabor.