In 2008, Spain began filling a 300-metre-deep coal mine with 547 billion litres of water; four years later, it became one of the country’s largest artificial lakes

Think of the biggest hole you’ve ever seen. Now make it nearly as deep as the Eiffel Tower is tall and spread it out over an area about the size of 1,600 American football fields. This was the hole left in northwest Spain after nearly 60 years of coal mining. Then, in 2008, engineers did something almost no one expected: they filled it with water. According to a 2023 engineering study, ‘ Environmental recovery of As Pontes mine pit lake ,’ published in the journal Boletín Geológico y Minero, the pit held about 547 billion litres of water. A little over four years after this, Spain gained its new lake, which became one of the largest artificial lakes in Spain.

Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!