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Issue link: http://sea-technology.epubxp.com/i/715092
www.sea-technology.com August 2016 / st 37 T he Panama Canal is a key waterway for inter- national maritime trade. France began building the Panama Canal in 1881. In 1904, the United States took over the project and completed it in 1914. Pan- ama eventually took con- trol of the canal in 1999. In June 2016, the expanded Panama Canal opened for business. As an example of traffic through the canal, in 2008, 14,702 vessels traversed the waterway with an average travel time of 8 to 10 hr. The canal is 77 km long, with locks located at the Pacific and Atlantic ends. The locks lift ships to Ga- tun Lake, a large artificial lake created to reduce the amount of excavation work required for the canal and to provide a reservoir for canal operation. Gatun Lake Gatun Lake is 26 m above mean sea level (MSL). Digital elevation data that describe Gatun Lake landforms, bottom surface and wa- ter volumes are crucial for addressing issues related to the impacts of climate change, disaster management, wa- ter security, environmental management, urban planning and infrastructure design. Gatun Lake was created from 1907 through 1913. It originated from the damming of the Chagres River that ran through the heart of the country. The lake covers 33 km of the 77-km canal. At the time of its original develop- ment it was considered the largest manmade lake in the world. The lake is an integral component of the operations of the Panama Canal, especially for the operations of the canal locks. For every vessel passing through the locks, the lake deposits nearly 200,000 cu. m of water into the ocean. With over 14,000 vessels passing through per year, this places an enormous demand on the lake's water supply. The challenge escalated this past year with the El Niño event causing severe shortage in local precipitation. El Niño reduced water levels in the lake, forcing the canal's operators to limit the draft of ships utilizing the canal. The damming of the Chagres flooded the originally wooded valley, leaving hundreds of tree stumps that can Bathymetric and Terrestrial Lidar Survey for Panama Canal CZMIL Gathers Hydrological Data From Gatun Lake By Derrick R. Peyton A map of the Panama Canal, showing locks.