__NOTOC__ The Lac d'Émosson (Lake Émosson) is a

reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...

in the canton of

Valais Valais ( , ; ), more formally, the Canton of Valais or Wallis, is one of the cantons of Switzerland, 26 cantons forming the Switzerland, Swiss Confederation. It is composed of thirteen districts and its capital and largest city is Sion, Switzer ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. It is located in the municipalities of

Salvan Salvan () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Saint-Maurice District, in Valais, Switzerland. History Salvan is first mentioned in 1018 as ''cum Silvano''. Around 1025-31 it was mentioned as ''in monte Salvano''. The munici ...

and

Finhaut Finhaut is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Saint-Maurice (district), Saint-Maurice in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Valais in Switzerland. History Finhaut is first mentioned in 1293 as ''Finyaux''. Geograp ...

. The closest small city in Switzerland is

Martigny Martigny (; , ; ) is the capital city of the district of Martigny (district), Martigny, cantons of Switzerland, canton of Canton of Valais, Valais, Switzerland. It lies at an elevation of , and its population is approximately 20,000 inhabitants ( ...

. The lake has a surface area of 3.27 km² and an elevation of 1,930 m. The maximum depth is 180 meters. The purpose of the Émosson Dam is

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...

power generation. Water from the reservoir first powers the 189 MW Vallorcine Power Station downstream and just over the border in Vallorcine,

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. Water is then sent through a headrace tunnel to the 190 MW La Bâtiaz Power Station, to the east in

, Switzerland. The drop between the dam and La Bâtiaz Power Station is . The first dam of Émosson (also known as Barberine Dam) was built in 1925. The current dam with a height of 180 m was constructed between 1969 and August 1973 and floods the old dam. The reservoir was fully impounded on 10 September 1975, it increased the reservoir's volume from 40 million m³ to 227 million m³. The old dam can still be seen when the water level in the Lac d'Émosson is very low. The lake serves as the lower reservoir for the 900 MW Nant de Drance Hydropower Plant which began operations in 2022. In 1955, another dam was built 300m higher above the now existing lake. This lake is now known as the

Lac du Vieux Émosson __NOTOC__ Lac du Vieux Émosson is a reservoir in Valais, Switzerland, in the municipality of Finhaut at an elevation of 2205 m. The lake drains into the reservoir Lac d'Émosson, 300 m below. In September 2014, an increase of the dam by 21.5 ...

. The dam can be reached by road or by a funicular-train-funicular trip. The Funiculaire du Châtelard is the first used from the valley bottom, it is the steepest 2-cabin

funicular railway A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends ...

in the world with a gradient of 87 percent. Mini-Funiculaire d'Emosson runs next to the dam with a maximum incline of 73% for a difference of elevation of 140 m. At the top of this funicular there is access to a 450m zipline across the dam's face. Emosson Construction.jpg, Construction of the new Émosson dam, 1971 Staumauer Lac d'Emosson.jpg, Detail of the arch dam Émosson1.jpg, Lac d’Émosson, viewed from Col du Passet Minifunic d'Emosson.jpg, Mini-Funiculaire d'Emosson (2004) Emosson Alte Gewichtsmauer.jpg, The old gravity dam is visible when the water level is low

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External links

Cycling profile for climb to Émosson

Cable car and attraction park
* Emosson Emosson Emosson Emosson Tourist attractions in Switzerland Hydroelectric power stations in Switzerland Hydroelectric power stations in France {{Switzerland-struct-stub

See also

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External links