Zêzere River

The Zêzere (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈzezɨɾɨ]) is a river in Portugal, tributary to the Tagus. It rises in the Serra da Estrela, near the Torre, the highest point of continental Portugal. The Zêzere runs through the town Manteigas, runs through Belmonte, passes south of the city of Covilhã and east of the town of Pedrogão Grande. It flows into the Tagus in Constância. It is the second longest river entirely within Portuguese territory (the Mondego being the longest). Its slope allows for the hydroelectric powerplants of Cabril, Bouçã and Castelo de Bode.

Zêzere seen from the Cabril Dam

Zêzere
Lago Azul on the Zêzere River, with the bridge between Vila de Rei and Ferreira do Zêzere in the background
Location
Country	Portugal
NUTS II	Centro Region, Portugal
Towns	Manteigas, Belmonte, Constância
Physical characteristics
Source	near Cântaro Magro
• location	Serra da Estrela
• coordinates	40°19′50″N 7°35′49″W
• elevation	1,900 m (6,200 ft)
Mouth	Tagus River
• location	Constância
• coordinates	39°28′24″N 8°20′21″W
• elevation	20 m (66 ft)
Length	214 km (133 mi)
Basin size	5,043 km2 (1,947 sq mi)
Basin features
Progression	Tagus→ Atlantic Ocean
Tributaries
• right	Nabão
Tagus Basin

Dams and Reservoirs

Beginning at the headwaters, there are 3 dams on the Zêzere:

Dam	Nameplate capacity (MW)	Reservoir	Surface area		Total capacity
			km2	sq mi	million m3	million cu ft
Cabril	97	Cabril	20.23	7.81	720	25,000
Bouçã	50	Bouçã	5	1.9	48.4	1,710
Castelo de Bode	159	Castelo de Bode	32.91	12.71	1,095	38,700

Designations
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Estrela Mountain upper Plateau and upper Zêzere River
Designated	2 December 2005
Reference no.	1614[1]