The act was presided by the president of the Government of Extremadura, José Antonio Monago, alongside the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Isabel García Tejerina.

This infrastructure, financed by the central government, has a total storage capacity of more than 51 cubic hectometres and will regulate the Alcollarín River, improve the supply of water to neighbouring towns and manage the Orellana canal and central area of Extremadura Furthermore, it means that 1,100 acres in the area can be irrigated; this project is expected to receive an investment of €4 million from the 2014-2020 Rural Development Programmes.

The dam is of a conventional kind and comprises 40 blocks of vibrated concrete, though it is characterised by one particular feature. A canal runs through the structure which connects the reservoir of García Sola and the dam of Búrdalo. It is 31 metres high and 625 metres long. In total, 25.5 kilometres of coastline have been employed, split between the towns of Alcollarín, Zorita, Conquista de la Sierra and Abertura

This reservoir was built with four objectives in mind: contribute to the irrigation water supply of the area and, for the citizens, facilitate the regulation of the water levels of the central area of Extremadura, prevent large flooding and create a space for recreational use.

In this regard, 18 acres of leisure space has been prepared with sporting and social recreational facilities. These include a pier, swimming areas and a building for the hotel industry.

The project had a budget of €37.8 million, provided by the Feder funds and a completion deadline of 60 months.

Environmental impact

The favourable environmental study which approved the construction project of the dam of Alcollarín dates back to 1997. Since then, a number of reviews have been completed and during the project work, a series of countervailing measures were implemented so as not to harm the ecosystem. They included the creation of an irrigation dam so that when the water level drops, water can be retained at suitable levels for wildlife, or the addition of three artificial islands as a stopover for migratory birds.