Lac d'Émosson
Lac d'Émosson | |
---|---|
Lac d'Émosson | |
Location | Valais |
Coordinates | 46°4′18″N 6°55′10″E / 46.07167°N 6.91944°ECoordinates: 46°4′18″N 6°55′10″E / 46.07167°N 6.91944°E |
Type | reservoir |
Primary outflows | |
Catchment area | 34.91 km2 (13.48 sq mi) |
Basin countries | Switzerland, France |
Surface area | 3.27 km2 (1.26 sq mi) |
Max. depth | 161 m (528 ft) |
Water volume | 227 million cubic metres (184,000 acre⋅ft) |
Surface elevation | 1,930 m (6,330 ft) |
The Lac d'Émosson (Lake Émosson) is a reservoir in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. It is located in the municipalities of Salvan and Finhaut. The closest small city in Switzerland is Martigny. The lake has a surface area of 3.27 km² and an elevation of 1,930 m. The maximum depth is 161 m. The purpose of the Émosson Dam is hydroelectric power generation. Water from the reservoir first powers the 189 MW Vallorcine Power Station downstream and just over the border in Vallorcine, France. Water is then sent through a headrace tunnel to the 162 MW La Bâtiaz Power Station, 12 km (7 mi) to the east in Martigny, Switzerland. The drop between the dam and La Bâtiaz Power Station is 1,400 m (4,593 ft).[1]
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.[1] The old dam can still be seen when the water level in the Lac d'Émosson is very low.
The lake will serve as the lower reservoir for the 900 MW Nant de Drance Hydropower Plant which is expected to be operational beginning in 2018.[2]
In 1955, another dam was built 300m higher above the now existing lake. This lake is now known as the Lac du Vieux Emosson.
The dam can be reached by road or by a funicular-train-funicular trip. The Chatelard funicular railway is the first used from the valley bottom, it is the steepest 2-cabin funicular railway in the world with a gradient of 87 percent.[3][4]
Construction of the new Émosson dam, 1971
Detail of the arch dam
Lac d’Émosson, viewed from Col du Passet
Minifunic du Châtelard VS
The old gravity dam is visible when the water level is low
See also[]
- List of lakes of Switzerland
- List of mountain lakes of Switzerland
- Renewable energy in Switzerland
Notes[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Électricité Émosson SA" (in French). Electricity of Émosson. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
- ^ "The Heart of the Mountain" (in French). Nant de Drance SA. Retrieved 11 January 2015.
- ^ The Chatelard funicular Archived 10 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Funimag: Funiculaire Minifunic
External links[]
- Cycling profile for climb to Émosson (in French)
- Cable car and attraction park
- www.emosson.ch
- Media related to Lac d'Emosson at Wikimedia Commons
- Dams in Switzerland
- Lakes of Valais
- Reservoirs in Switzerland
- Arch dams
- Tourist attractions in Switzerland
- Funicular railways in Switzerland
- Hydroelectric power stations in Switzerland
- Hydroelectric power stations in France
- Valais geography stubs
- Swiss building and structure stubs