Puclaro
The dam which forms the lake is visible in the background
Puclaro
Coordinates	30°01′S 70°49′W / 30.01°S 70.82°W / -30.01; -70.82
Type	reservoir
Primary inflows	Elqui River
Primary outflows	Elqui River
Basin countries	Chile
Max. length	5.95 km (3.70 mi)
Surface area	760 ha (1,900 acres)
Max. depth	83 m (272 ft)
Water volume	4.63×10^6 m3 (3,750 acre⋅ft)
Surface elevation	435 m (1,427 ft)
Dam	Puclaro Dam

Puclaro is an artificial lake created by a dam on the Elqui River, 40 km east of the city of La Serena, Coquimbo Region and 500 km north of Santiago. Regular strong winds make the lake a popular place for kitesurfing.^[1]

Its purpose is to improve the irrigation of 21,000 ha of farmland in the Elqui valley.^[2]

Dam

Puclaro Dam is an 83 m tall and 640 m long concrete face gravel fill dam with a crest altitude of 435 m. The volume of the dam is 4,630,000 m³. The dam features a spillway over the dam (maximum discharge 3,800 m³/s). The upstream concrete face varies in thickness from 0.45 m to 0.30 m.^[2]

Puclaro dam is founded on very pervious alluvial foundations more than 100 m deep.^[2]