The Königshütte Dam (german: Talsperre Königshütte) is a
dam
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...
in the German state of
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it th ...
in the
Harz mountains
The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...
. It impounds the River
Bode and lies between
Königshütte and
Susenburg (both in the borough of
Oberharz am Brocken
Oberharz am Brocken () is a town in the Harz District, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was formed on 1 January 2010 by the merger of the town of Elbingerode with the municipalities of the former ''Verwaltungsgemeinschaft'' ("collective municipal ...
). It is a so-called storage reservoir (''Überleitungssperre'') forming part of the
Rappbode Dam
The Rappbode Dam (german: Rappbode-Talsperre) is the largest dam in the Harz region as well as the highest dam in Germany. Together with several other dams and retention basins, it forms the flood protection system for the eastern Harz.
The indi ...
system.
The dam itself was built on the Bode from 1939–1943 and 1952–1956 with construction being interrupted by the
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
. It is an 18 metre high
gravity dam, made of
concrete
Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...
, for the supply of
drinking water
Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...
and for
flood protection
Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water levels ...
. It also provides reserves of water during times of drought and
hydro-electric power
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined an ...
. The power station has a nominal output of 60 kW and generates 0.18 GWh per annum.
The gently curving dam wall is 108 m long and has a volume of 13,500 m³. It can be overtopped along almost its entire length. In one section there is a
fish-belly flap gate that can be lowered by 1.5 metres to provide
flood control
Flood control methods are used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters."Flood Control", MSN Encarta, 2008 (see below: Further reading). Flood relief methods are used to reduce the effects of flood waters or high water level ...
.
The
reservoir
A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation.
Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...
has a capacity of 1.2 million m³ and covers an area of 32 hectares. Part of the water is diverted from here through a 1,795 m long tunnel to the
Rappbode Reservoir. The rest flows back into the Bode and down to the
Wendefurth Reservoir, where it is reunited with the water from the Rappbode Reservoir again.
A quiet concrete road from Königshütte runs along the northern side of the reservoir as far as the dam. On the south side a wide footpath leads back to Königshütte, which passes the
confluence of the Kalte and Warme Bode. Numerous footpaths lead from the dam in almost all directions of the compass. The location is suitable for both
anglers and
walkers.
File:TalsperreKoenigshuetteWest.jpg, Western section
File:TalsperreKönigshütteWest.jpg, Approach from Königshütte
File:TalsperreKönigshütteNord.jpg, North side
File:TalsperreKoenigshuetteStaumauerOst.jpg, East side of the dam
See also
*
List of reservoirs and dams in Germany
These are dams and reservoirs in Germany.
The German word ''Talsperre'' (literally: valley barrier) may mean dam, but it is often used to include the associated reservoir as well. The reservoirs are often separately given names ending in ''-see ...
*
List of dams in the Harz
In the Harz mountains, there is a higher than average number of dams with their associated reservoirs. The reason is that the Harz is one of the regions with the heaviest rainfall in Germany and so its water power was utilised very early on. The ...
References
External links
Talsperrenbetrieb Sachsen-Anhalt
{{DEFAULTSORT:Konigshutte Dam
Dams in Saxony-Anhalt
Dams in the Harz
Dams completed in 1956