We are going to go back in time this week and talk about an unpredictable and dangerous river.  This river would be the famous Chagres River of Panama.  Today the river measures 100 to 200 feet across and approximately 40 feet deep.  This river serves as the main source of water for the high-level locks of the Panama Canal and is the main water source of the Gatun Lake.  Without the Chagres and all its tributaries, there would be no Panama Canal.  At the time it was formed by the Chagres, Gatun Lake was the largest man-made lake in the world.

Though the years beginning with the idea of building a Canal, the Chagres River had to be monitored for its erratic behavior, especially during the rainy season.  See my posting from Oct. 6, 2002 to give an idea.  To keep an eye on the unpredictable river, observation towers were constructed along the river's route.  Even though the river is tamer now that it is flooded, it can still be a problem from time to time.  I remember when they used to spill Madden Dam, lots of debris would come down the river, pass under the Gamboa bridge and hinder transiting ships in the Canal.  The river is monitored by the Meteorological and Hydrology Branch of the Panama Canal Authority who provides data to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute as a collaborative agreement to assist in the study of such data.

The photos posted this week show a couple of the earlier observation towers along the Chagres River.  They still have them today, but all self standing and all computerized with solar power.  No need now for humans, except a visit to the station once in a while.

Long live our Zonian memories and life.