Einsiedel Dam
Encyclopedia
Einsiedel Dam is located in the German Free State of Saxony
. Its reservoir supplies drinking water
to Chemnitz
and, in conjunction with the Central Ore Mountains reservoir system, that includes the reservoirs of Neunzehnhain I, II and Saidenbach
also supplies water to the entire region covered by the South Saxony Long Distance Water Association (Zweckverband Fernwasser Südsachsen).
, which meant that the source of water supply had to be switched from ground to surface water. The local council of Einsiedel, which lay below the proposed dam, had unsuccessfully objected against the dam site in Stadtguttal in light of the breach of the South Fork Dam
in 1889 that had caused approximately 2,200 deaths.
Between 7 November 1890 (laying of the foundation stone) and 14 June 1894 (dam opening) the oldest drinking water-retaining dam in Saxony emerged which, after the Eschbach Dam and Panzer Dam, is also the third oldest in Germany. It cost 1.3 million marks and an average of 142 workers were employed in its construction. A water works was built below the dam that led the treated water through a 3.3 km long tunnel into Chemnitz's water supply network.
At the time of commissioning the Einsiedel Dam was considered a technical masterpiece. It was assessed as excellent at the World Exhibitions in Paris
(1900) and St. Louis.
The Einsiedel barrage is a curved gravity dam made of quarrystone, based partly on the Intze principle, but without the Intze wedge, retaining wall drainage and water-side protective layer (facing).
It is a "large dam" by ICOLD criteria and impounds the waters of the Stadtguttalbach, it also receives water channeled from the Neunzehnhain I Reservoir.
The reservoir is used for drinking water, which is why swimming, fishing and recreational sports, etc., are not permitted in the reservoir. The dam is also used to a limited extent for flood control
.
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
. Its reservoir supplies drinking water
Drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long term harm. In most developed countries, the water supplied to households, commerce and industry is all of drinking water standard, even though only a very small proportion is actually...
to Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
and, in conjunction with the Central Ore Mountains reservoir system, that includes the reservoirs of Neunzehnhain I, II and Saidenbach
Saidenbach Dam
The Saidenbach Dam is a dam in the German state of Saxony. Its reservoir supplies drinking water to Chemnitz and, in conjunction with the Central Ore Mountain Dam System and its other dams - Neunzehnhain I und II and Einsiedel - contributes to the supply of the region covered by the South Saxony...
also supplies water to the entire region covered by the South Saxony Long Distance Water Association (Zweckverband Fernwasser Südsachsen).
Construction, use and history
In May 1883 the population of Chemnitz exceeded 100,000 and it became the 15th city in Germany. The supply of drinking water to the city had been provided by a waterworks built in 1872–1874, that could no longer cope with the increasing water consumption of the growing city. An increase in its capacity was no longer possible due to the limitations of terrain and rising pollution of the ZwönitzZwönitz (river)
Zwönitz is a river of Saxony, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Saxony...
, which meant that the source of water supply had to be switched from ground to surface water. The local council of Einsiedel, which lay below the proposed dam, had unsuccessfully objected against the dam site in Stadtguttal in light of the breach of the South Fork Dam
South Fork Dam
The South Fork Dam was located on Lake Conemaugh, an artificial body of water located near South Fork, Pennsylvania, United States. On May 31, 1889, the South Fork Dam failed catastrophically and 20 million tons of water from Lake Conemaugh burst through and raced 14 miles downstream, causing the...
in 1889 that had caused approximately 2,200 deaths.
Between 7 November 1890 (laying of the foundation stone) and 14 June 1894 (dam opening) the oldest drinking water-retaining dam in Saxony emerged which, after the Eschbach Dam and Panzer Dam, is also the third oldest in Germany. It cost 1.3 million marks and an average of 142 workers were employed in its construction. A water works was built below the dam that led the treated water through a 3.3 km long tunnel into Chemnitz's water supply network.
At the time of commissioning the Einsiedel Dam was considered a technical masterpiece. It was assessed as excellent at the World Exhibitions in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1900) and St. Louis.
The Einsiedel barrage is a curved gravity dam made of quarrystone, based partly on the Intze principle, but without the Intze wedge, retaining wall drainage and water-side protective layer (facing).
It is a "large dam" by ICOLD criteria and impounds the waters of the Stadtguttalbach, it also receives water channeled from the Neunzehnhain I Reservoir.
The reservoir is used for drinking water, which is why swimming, fishing and recreational sports, etc., are not permitted in the reservoir. The dam is also used to a limited extent for flood control
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
.
Sources
- Dieter Bock: 100 Jahre Talsperre Einsiedel bei Chemnitz. in: Erzgebirgische Heimatblätter. Heft 5/1994. p. 25–26,