A Sustainable Future at Lake Gatun

Posted in Operation | Comments Off

Gatun Lake is one of the most important portions of the Panama Canal, serving as both the main waterway of the Canal and also a vast reservoir for operating the locks. Each time a ship transits the canal 53 million gallons of water is drained from the lake into the sea, a truly colossal total when combined with the 14,000 other vessel transits per year. Since rainfall is seasonal in Panama the lake is the Canal’s primary source of water storage with the local rainforest helping in water regulation and release.