El Cajón Dam (Mexico)

El Cajón Dam, officially known as the Francisco Villa Dam, is a hydroelectric dam located on the Santiago River in the state of Nayarit, Mexico. It is situated approximately 58 kilometers (36 miles) northeast of Tepic, the state capital.

The dam is an earth-fill embankment dam, reaching a height of 186 meters (610 feet), making it one of the tallest dams in Mexico. It impounds the Presa El Cajón reservoir, which has a capacity of approximately 6,450 million cubic meters (5,226,740 acre-feet).

Construction of the dam began in 2003 and was completed in 2007. Its primary purpose is to generate electricity. The hydroelectric power plant has a capacity of 750 megawatts, contributing significantly to Mexico's energy supply. The dam's construction and operation are managed by the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), Mexico's state-owned electric utility.

The creation of the El Cajón reservoir also provides benefits such as water storage for irrigation and flood control. However, the dam's construction and operation have also been associated with environmental concerns, including the displacement of local communities and potential impacts on downstream ecosystems and fisheries. Studies continue to assess the long-term social and environmental impacts of the dam.