WATCH VIDEO: Montejaque dam overflows for first time in 100 years as reservoir hits limit

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Authorities call for calm as emergency siphons activate following historic rains; 150 residents remain evacuated from high-risk areas

Chus Heredia

Friday, 13 February 2026, 12:15

The Montejaque dam in Málaga province has begun to overflow, coming within 30 centimetres of its absolute capacity for the first time in its century-long history.

Regional authorities and town councils have issued an immediate call for calm, confirming that 150 residents from high-risk zones have already been evacuated. Despite the dramatic rise in water levels, officials do not anticipate significant flooding downstream.

According to the regional government of Andalucía, the outflow has reached 200 cubic metres per second. Sources have explained that the dam is not overflowing because it has reached its limit. Instead, the strong winds and waves have caused the overflow.

The Montejaque's relief system uses inverted U-shaped siphons, different from the typical floodgates in that they are emergency drainage structures that operate on the vacuum/pressure principle. They allow the release of large volumes without requiring a further rise in the reservoir level beyond the activation threshold.

Mayor of Jimera de Líbar Francisco Javier Lobo released a statement on Friday morning, informing the population that the upper release system of the dam is "working properly".

"We are keeping an eye on the development of the Guadiaro riverbed. In any case, we can rest assured that the preventive work is complete and there is no risk to the population," he said.

Similar is the statement of the Benaoján town hall, which highlighted that the fact that the mechanism is working after "more than a century" without being tested is a reason to celebrate.

The dam's history and lost purpose

A week has passed since the risk of the overflowing of the Los Caballeros or Hundidero dam (Montejaque) forced the evacuation of residents, mainly in the Estación de Benaoján. This 'ghost' infrastructure was never fulfilled its original purpose: the production of electricity.

The dam was built in 1923. Since then it has only caused water company Endesa headaches.

It has never been able to properly hold water, because the soil filters it. There are only small accumulations of reserves in winter. In spring and summer, the farmers in the area work the land that successfully bears fruit.

Never before has there been such a sharp rise in water level. All eyes are on it, especially with the announcement of the arrival of another storm (Oriana), although experts do not expect it to be as virulent recent storms.

The Guardia Civil, the state Military Emergency Unit and geologists have been permanently monitoring the dam and collaborating in technical tasks with Endesa, the company that owns the infrastructure.

The body of the dam has become a tourist attraction. It is a very popular area. There are even via ferratas for climbing. A few days ago, the fire brigade rescued a person who had got stuck on a zip line.