Grane Dam
Encyclopedia
The Grane Dam is a dam
above the village of Astfeld/Herzog-Juliushütte in the borough of Langelsheim
in the Lower Saxon
part of the Harz
mountains.
itself does not deliver enough water for the 3 km long reservoir
, a 7.4 km long diversion channel was built from the Oker
river below the Oker Dam
. This also collects water from the Gose on the way. A further 4.8 km long diversion runs from the Radau
to the Großer Romke and thus into the Oker-Grane Tunnel as well. Likewise there is a 4.6 km long underground tunnel to the Innerste Dam
. The operator of the Grane Dam, as well as its associated diversion systems and waterworks is the Harzwasserwerke
.
The barrage is an earth dam with asphaltic concrete lining.
(Granestausee) supplies drinking water
, acts as flood protection, water regulation and electricity generation
. The hydro-electric power station
has a power output of 180 kW. The waterworks for drinking water lies higher up on the northern slope. The water from the reservoir is pumped up into a compensating storage basin of 60,000 m³ capacity, from where it flows to the waterworks. The Grane Dam has an average annual discharge of 55 million m³.
Because the reservoir provides drinking water, water sports are not allowed. Even motor traffic is kept away from it. A track for maintenance was laid around the reservoir, which is also open to walkers and cyclists and is about 17 km long.
There is a checkpoint (no. 110) in the Harzer Wandernadel
hiking network by the reservoir known as Granestausee.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
above the village of Astfeld/Herzog-Juliushütte in the borough of Langelsheim
Langelsheim
Langelsheim is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany.- Geography :The municipality is situated between the river Innerste and its tributary Grane, on the northern edge of the Harz mountain range and the Harz National Park, located about northwest of Goslar.- City subdivisions...
in the Lower Saxon
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
part of the Harz
Harz
The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...
mountains.
Dam system
It is the newest dam in the Harz, built in 1969 in the Grane valley. Because the river GraneGrane (river)
The Grane is a right tributary of the Innerste river near Goslar.It rises in the vicinity of Hahnenklee in the Upper Harz and discharges about 12 km later into the Innerste near Langelsheim . At Herzog Juliushütte, in the municipality of Astfeld near Goslar, it is controlled by the Grane Dam....
itself does not deliver enough water for the 3 km long reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
, a 7.4 km long diversion channel was built from the Oker
Oker
The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...
river below the Oker Dam
Oker Dam
The Oker Dam is a dam in the Harz mountains in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is fed by the River Oker.- Technology :The dam is in the shape of an arch . It is 75 m high, 260 m long, can impound up to 47 million m³ of water and provides hydropower, flood protection and water...
. This also collects water from the Gose on the way. A further 4.8 km long diversion runs from the Radau
Radau
The Radau is a river in the German state of Lower Saxony and is a right tributary of the Oker.It rises at around in the Harz mountain range, in a bog known as the Torfhaus Moor east of the Torfhaus village in the municipality of Altenau...
to the Großer Romke and thus into the Oker-Grane Tunnel as well. Likewise there is a 4.6 km long underground tunnel to the Innerste Dam
Innerste Dam
The Innerste Dam 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...
. The operator of the Grane Dam, as well as its associated diversion systems and waterworks is the Harzwasserwerke
Harzwasserwerke
The Harzwasserwerke is a German water company and dam operator with the primary tasks of supplying drinking water, generating electrical power, flood protection and the maintenance of the Upper Harz Water Regale...
.
The barrage is an earth dam with asphaltic concrete lining.
Reservoir
The Grane ReservoirReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
(Granestausee) 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...
, acts as flood protection, water regulation and electricity generation
Electricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
. The hydro-electric power station
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
has a power output of 180 kW. The waterworks for drinking water lies higher up on the northern slope. The water from the reservoir is pumped up into a compensating storage basin of 60,000 m³ capacity, from where it flows to the waterworks. The Grane Dam has an average annual discharge of 55 million m³.
Because the reservoir provides drinking water, water sports are not allowed. Even motor traffic is kept away from it. A track for maintenance was laid around the reservoir, which is also open to walkers and cyclists and is about 17 km long.
There is a checkpoint (no. 110) in the Harzer Wandernadel
Harzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a network of checkpoints for walkers in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It includes a system whereby the hiker can earn badges at different levels by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and recording them...
hiking network by the reservoir known as Granestausee.
See also
- List of dams and reservoirs in Germany
- List of dams and reservoirs in the Harz
External links
- Harzwasserwerke.de with link to current dam data