Gran Canaria’s Chira reservoir was built to store water for irrigation, not to drain it quickly. That distinction has become a concern as RED Eléctrica builds a pumped-storage power station linking Chira with the Soria reservoir, intended to store surplus renewable energy by pumping water uphill.
The project began in 2022 and is designed to function as a battery with a capacity of about 3.5 GWh. In 2026, technical director Yonay Concepción said construction was 60% complete. But Chira has no bottom outlet, a feature that would make it possible to empty the reservoir much faster.
The reservoir, completed in 1964 after construction began in 1941, holds 5.64 cubic hectometres and is Gran Canaria’s second-largest. Without a bottom outlet, releasing the water currently in it could take six to eight months; with one, it would take around two weeks, according to the report.
The issue drew attention after heavy rains in March 2026. The Citizens’ Platform Salvar Chira-Soria has repeatedly alleged that some construction works were flooded, arguing that this points to problems with the project’s design.
On March 30, Cabildo de Gran Canaria president Antonio Morales reported that recent storms had multiplied the island’s water reserves by 17. The island had 35 full dams and enough water for five years of irrigation. Of the Cabildo’s seven reservoirs, Chira was the only one not full, holding 51% of its capacity.
Gran Canaria has 172 dams across an area of about 1,560 square kilometres. Many were built to capture limited rainfall and direct water to where it was needed, particularly for agriculture. Chira’s original role as an irrigation reservoir helps explain why it was designed to retain water rather than release it from below.
Sources: Xataka.