Innerste Dam
Encyclopedia
The Innerste Dam is a dam
on the Innerste
river, which lies near Langelsheim
and Wolfshagen in the Harz mountains. It was built between 1963 and 1966 and belongs to the Harzwasserwerke
. Its purposes are the supply of drinking water
, flood protection, water flow regulation and hydroelectric power generation. The average annual discharge through the Innerste Dam is 60 million m³.
further east, where it can be used for water treatment
. From 2003 to 2005 the reservoir was completely emptied and renovated, especially the asphalt sealing and the bottom outlet. This work was finished in September 2005.
) is used about every two years. Nevertheless even when the Innerste Dam overflows, the level of retention
significantly reduces and delays flooding.
may be used by sailing and rowing boats and for angling and camping. The Innerste Valley Railway
is an old railway line, that had a halt by the Innerste Dam.
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...
on the Innerste
Innerste
The Innerste is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the Leine river and 95 km in length.- Origin of the name :...
river, which lies near Langelsheim
Langelsheim
Langelsheim is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany.- Geography :The municipality is situated between the river Innerste and its tributary Grane, on the northern edge of the Harz mountain range and the Harz National Park, located about northwest of Goslar.- City subdivisions...
and Wolfshagen in the Harz mountains. It was built between 1963 and 1966 and belongs to the Harzwasserwerke
Harzwasserwerke
The Harzwasserwerke is a German water company and dam operator with the primary tasks of supplying drinking water, generating electrical power, flood protection and the maintenance of the Upper Harz Water Regale...
. Its purposes are the supply of drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
, flood protection, water flow regulation and hydroelectric power generation. The average annual discharge through the Innerste Dam is 60 million m³.
Structures
The Innerste is an earth-fill dam with multiple, external, asphaltic concrete layers. It has an inspection gangway along its whole length on the upstream apron. In front of the upstream base of the dam is a shaft spillway (a flood overflow tower), into which also the bottom outlet is integrated. The water of the Innerste Dam can be pumped via a 4.6 km long diversion channel to the Grane DamGrane Dam
The Grane Dam is a dam above the village of Astfeld/Herzog-Juliushütte in the borough of Langelsheim in the Lower Saxon part of the Harz mountains.- Dam system :It is the newest dam in the Harz, built in 1969 in the Grane valley...
further east, where it can be used for water treatment
Water treatment
Water treatment describes those processes used to make water more acceptable for a desired end-use. These can include use as drinking water, industrial processes, medical and many other uses. The goal of all water treatment process is to remove existing contaminants in the water, or reduce the...
. From 2003 to 2005 the reservoir was completely emptied and renovated, especially the asphalt sealing and the bottom outlet. This work was finished in September 2005.
Flood control
Because the reservoir only has a limited flood control capacity (i.e. its capacity is relatively small in relation to the annual discharge), it can only check flooding within certain limits. The flood relief facility (spillwaySpillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
) is used about every two years. Nevertheless even when the Innerste Dam overflows, the level of retention
Retention
Retention may refer to:* Retention, in learning, the ability to retain facts and figures in memory ** Selective retention* Cultural retention* Customer retention...
significantly reduces and delays flooding.
Recreation
The reservoirReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
may be used by sailing and rowing boats and for angling and camping. The Innerste Valley Railway
Innerste Valley Railway
The Innerste Valley Railway was a railway line, that ran through the Upper Harz in Central Germany. It was also called the Upper Harz Railway or Harz Railway...
is an old railway line, that had a halt by the Innerste Dam.
External links
- Harzwasserwerke.de with a link to current dam data
- Innerste Dam in the Online Harz Travel Guide