Péligre Dam
| Péligre Dam | |
|---|---|
Lake Péligre | |
| Country | Haiti |
| Location | Centre |
| Coordinates | 18°54′02.85″N 72°02′21.96″W / 18.9007917°N 72.0394333°W |
| Purpose | Power, flood control |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1953 |
| Opening date | 1956 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Gravity |
| Impounds | Artibonite River |
| Height | 72 m (236 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Péligre |
| Total capacity | 297,000,000 m3 (241,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Active capacity | 249,000,000 m3 (202,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Catchment area | 6,480 km2 (2,500 sq mi) |
| Operator(s) | Electricite d'Haiti |
| Commission date | 1971 |
| Turbines | 3 x 17 MW Francis-type |
| Installed capacity | 51 MW |
The Péligre Dam is a gravity dam located off the Centre department on the Artibonite River of Haiti. At 72 m (236 ft) it is the tallest dam in Haiti. The dam was created as a flood-control and an energy-providing measure in the Artibonite River Valley during the 1950s, as part of the Artibonite Valley Agricultural Project. This dam impounds Lake Péligre.
Despite its purpose of providing energy throughout Haiti, many contend that the energy provided by the dam is not distributed equitably. Furthermore, the dam has had significant environmental, social, and health consequences on the local people, who were forced to relocate as a result of the dam's completion. These are points of concern to academics, journalists, and human rights activists who, noting heavy North American involvement in the planning and construction of the dam, believe that neoliberal influences may be at play.