Gatun Lake

High school (ages 12+)
Geography

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Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/gatun-lake

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Gatun Lake?Approximately 425 square kilometers (164 square miles)
2. How high is Gatun Lake?Maintained at 26 meters (85 feet) above sea level for canal operations
3. What is the location?Central Panama, situated south of Colón
4. What is the date of creation?June 27, 1913
5. What is Gatun Lake and why is it important?Gatun Lake is a huge man‑made lake that helps ships travel across Panama. It is the backbone of the Panama Canal, providing the water needed for the locks that lift and lower ships.
6. How was Gatun Lake created?Engineers closed the Gatun Dam gates and filled the lake with water from the Chagres River. It took about six months to raise the water level from 14.6 meters to 26 meters.

Artificial Reservoir: A man-made body of water created by constructing a dam, serving purposes such as water storage and power generation.
Isthmus of Panama: The narrow land bridge connecting North and South America, strategically vital for the Panama Canal's existence.
Lock System: A series of chambers with gates used to raise or lower vessels between bodies of water of different elevations, integral to canal operation.
Maritime Trade: The global movement of goods and commodities via sea routes, significantly impacted by canal systems like Panama's.