Embalse de María Cristina
A 1901 to 1925 dam on the Viuda rambla, 59 m high and 265 ha, for aquifer recharge between groves and low hills.
The María Cristina reservoir fills the channel of the Viuda rambla between l'Alcora, Sant Joan de Moró, Borriol and Castelló de la Plana, about 11 km from the city and 75 minutes from València. Works started in 1901 and finished in 1925 after several construction problems. The dam is a concrete gravity-arch type, 59 m high with a 318 m crest, over a 265 ha sheet and 19.59 hm3 of maximum capacity. Its use is recharging the aquifers of Plana Alta and Plana Baixa.
The structure and its history
The free-crest spillway takes 597 m3 per second, and the dam has overflowed in 1920, 1962 and 2000 from cold-drop floods; the 2000 one opened a leaking hole in the concrete and set off every alarm. It belongs to the Júcar water authority. Access runs along tracks from the Alcora road, with no verified parking.
Visit notices
This is a rambla with violent floods: keep away from the channel and the dam when heavy rain or a cold-drop warning is forecast. Bathing is unconfirmed, so do not count on swimming. There are no services by the basin: bring water and keep the car ready, and leave the dam service tracks clear.
Frequently asked questions
What is special about this dam?
A 1901 to 1925 work on the Viuda rambla: 59 m high, a 318 m crest and 265 ha for aquifer recharge.
Is it dangerous in rain?
Yes: the rambla floods violently and the dam overflowed in 1920, 1962 and 2000. Keep off the channel and dam under a cold-drop warning.
Can you swim?
Unconfirmed. This is a walk-and-views visit with no services by the basin: bring water.
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