All 14 families will be forced to move out of the area before the reservoir is flooded, but only those with property titles will be relocated, stressed Schindele. There are workers who have settled here who do not own property but are still part of the way of life on the Baker River, she said. The five hydroelectric dams will be constructed on the Baker River β which has the highest flow of all of the rivers in Chile β and the Pascua River.
Together they will generate 2, megawatts of electricity which will be transported along 2, kilometers of power lines to the capital, Santiago, and the mining operations in the northern Atacama region. Cochrane is reached by driving north on the highway. It is estimated that around 5, construction workers will descend on the area, along with a similar number attracted by the opportunity to provide services over a period of 10 to 12 years. Local residents fear that this sudden population boom will lead to a sharp rise in crime, prostitution and early pregnancy.
Although the project involved a much smaller number of workers, it left behind a generation of fatherless children, commented Aguilera. But the closest maternity ward is at the hospital in Coyhaique, which is kilometers east of here and takes six or seven hours to reach. The company is offering to establish a private health care center for its workers, but the public health care system will be responsible for those who come to the area to work in services and other related activities, noted Aguilera.
Other, less tangible impacts are already being felt. An example is the community rodeo that used to be organised by local volunteers. Instead of streets, the town has wooden walkways that cross canals and estuaries connecting small islands and rugged fjords. Irma Gruelet is a small business owner who runs a kiosk selling coffee and pastries at the entrance to Caleta de Tortel.
Her house is near the school, and while she talks, the voices of children spilling out of class can be heard in the background. She received financing from the company for a kiosk where she sells candy and crafts to tourists who visit the estuary of the Baker River, which is at risk of periodic flooding as a result of the dams.
