Mandelholz Dam
Encyclopedia
The Mandelholz Dam holds back the Kalte Bode Flood Control Basin (Hochwasserschutzbecken Kalte Bode) which is a flood protection reservoir located between the villages of Elend and Königshütte near Wernigerode
in the Harz mountains of Germany. It impounds the waters of the Kalte Bode
when water levels are high.
The dam
was built from 1952 to 1957 and consists of an earth-fill dam with integrated concrete inspection walkway. In order to protect the crest from overspill, a spillway
has been constructed south of it to handle excess water. The last time the dam was overspilled due to high water was in 1994.
The height of the dam
is variously given as 26 m (probably height above valley floor) or 28.4 m (probably structural height).
Near Mandelholz on the Wormke
(to the rear of the Mandelholz Dam) are the ruins of an older dam that supplied the Mandelholz Iron Works with water from 1612. Catastrophic flooding in 1855 destroyed the dam and it was not rebuilt.
The name Mandelholz as a place name may be derived from the spruce
forests in the area, because spruce trees used to be called Mandel in German.
Wernigerode
Wernigerode is a town in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until 2007, it was the capital of the district of Wernigerode. Its population was 35,500 in 1999....
in the Harz mountains of Germany. It impounds the waters of the Kalte Bode
Kalte Bode
The Kalte Bode is the left-hand headstream of the River Bode in the High Harz Mountains in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is long.-Name:...
when water levels are high.
The 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...
was built from 1952 to 1957 and consists of an earth-fill dam with integrated concrete inspection walkway. In order to protect the crest from overspill, a spillway
Spillway
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...
has been constructed south of it to handle excess water. The last time the dam was overspilled due to high water was in 1994.
The height of the 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...
is variously given as 26 m (probably height above valley floor) or 28.4 m (probably structural height).
Near Mandelholz on the Wormke
Wormke
The Wormke is a left tributary of the Kalte Bode, about 6.7 kilometres long, in the Harz Mountains of central Germany.- Course :The Wormke rises north of Schierke above the Jakobsbruch at about 848 metres in the Harz National Park and flows initially eastwards...
(to the rear of the Mandelholz Dam) are the ruins of an older dam that supplied the Mandelholz Iron Works with water from 1612. Catastrophic flooding in 1855 destroyed the dam and it was not rebuilt.
The name Mandelholz as a place name may be derived from the spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
forests in the area, because spruce trees used to be called Mandel in German.