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Innerste Dam

Innerste Dam
InnerstetalsperreStaumauer.jpg
Country Germany
Location Lower Saxony
Coordinates 51°54′41″N 10°17′03″E / 51.91139°N 10.28417°E / 51.91139; 10.28417Coordinates: 51°54′41″N 10°17′03″E / 51.91139°N 10.28417°E / 51.91139; 10.28417
Construction began 1963
Opening date 1966
Dam and spillways
Height 40 m
Length 750 m
Width (crest) 8 m
Dam volume 850,000 m³
Reservoir
Total capacity 19.26 million m³
Catchment area 97 km²
Surface area 139 ha

The Innerste Dam (German: Innerstetalsperre) 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.

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 Dam 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.

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 (spillway) is used about every two years. Nevertheless, even when the Innerste Dam overflows, the level of significantly reduces and delays flooding.

The reservoir 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.

Shaft spillway in the reservoir

Shaft spillway during renovation work

Reservoir at low level

Innerste at low water


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