Author(s): Maria Gabriela Castrellon; Carlos Lu; Zheng Bing Wang And Ioana Popescu
Linked Author(s): Carlos Lu, Ioana Popescu
Keywords: Panama Canal Neo-Panamax Locks Saltwater Intrusion
Abstract: The Neo-Panamax locks of the Panama Canal, Agua Clara in the Atlantic and Cocoli in the Pacific, were inaugurated on June 26th, 2016. These locks include water saving basins (WSBs) to reduce freshwater use but at the cost of increasing saltwater intrusion to Gatun Lake. In this study salinity and lock operation data from the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) were used to calculate the average salt mass load per lockage and to assess the impact of different lock operation and saltwater intrusion mitigation strategies. Preliminary results show that during the study period (October 2021 to October 2024), average salt mass load to Gatun Lake through the Neo-Panamax locks was 1866 tonnes per day. Additionally, the use of the WSBs increased salt mass load per lockage by 32% and 33% in Agua Clara and Cocoli locks, respectively, whereas the application of a water barrier reduced salt mass load per lockage by 60% and 44% in Agua Clara and Cocoli locks, respectively.
Year: 2025