Eschbachtalsperre
Encyclopedia
The Eschbach Dam was the first dam
to be built in Germany for drinking water supply. It is located in Remscheid
, North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
. With its opening in 1891, this pioneer work of hydraulic engineering
was a milestone in the economic development of the city of Remscheid
.
and professor Otto Intze. It was constructed during the years 1889 to 1891 by the industrialist Robert Böker following the idea of the Intze Principle.
Until the beginning of the 20th century it was common in Germany to name the dam after the city where it stood rather than the waters it impounded. Consequently, in the writings of the times, the Eschbach Dam is also called the Remscheid Dam.
This impressive work of water commerce saw many diverse imitations worldwide and was a popular tourist destination from the beginning. Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia visited the dam on July 15, 1897. Two years later, Emperor Wilhelm II visited the dam and praised it as a great work of construction technology and water commerce. In 1977, in order to make the dam more attractive to visitors, a road was built around the reservoir that led to a nature trail.
The dam was redeveloped from 1991 to 1994. It was refortified with a 35 cm (13 in) thick concrete retaining wall and an inspection walkway on the water side. A new drainage system was also added, along with new removal processors and monitoring systems.
A good view of the remodeled retaining wall and the water of the reservoir encircled by trees can be seen from the terrace of the A 1's Remscheid motorway services.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
to be built in Germany for drinking water supply. It is located in Remscheid
Remscheid
Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on south side of the Ruhr area....
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. With its opening in 1891, this pioneer work of hydraulic engineering
Hydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
was a milestone in the economic development of the city of Remscheid
Remscheid
Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on south side of the Ruhr area....
.
History
The Eschbach Dam was designed by pioneering hydraulic engineerHydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
and professor Otto Intze. It was constructed during the years 1889 to 1891 by the industrialist Robert Böker following the idea of the Intze Principle.
Until the beginning of the 20th century it was common in Germany to name the dam after the city where it stood rather than the waters it impounded. Consequently, in the writings of the times, the Eschbach Dam is also called the Remscheid Dam.
This impressive work of water commerce saw many diverse imitations worldwide and was a popular tourist destination from the beginning. Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia visited the dam on July 15, 1897. Two years later, Emperor Wilhelm II visited the dam and praised it as a great work of construction technology and water commerce. In 1977, in order to make the dam more attractive to visitors, a road was built around the reservoir that led to a nature trail.
The dam was redeveloped from 1991 to 1994. It was refortified with a 35 cm (13 in) thick concrete retaining wall and an inspection walkway on the water side. A new drainage system was also added, along with new removal processors and monitoring systems.
A good view of the remodeled retaining wall and the water of the reservoir encircled by trees can be seen from the terrace of the A 1's Remscheid motorway services.