Hassel Auxiliary Dam
Encyclopedia
The Hassel Auxiliary Dam or Hassel Dam ( or Vorsperre Hassel) is an auxiliary dam
or pre-dam on the Rappbode Reservoir in the Harz mountains of central Germany
. It is located near Hasselfelde
in the state of Saxony-Anhalt
and impounds the waters of the Hassel
, the eastern of the two headwaters of the Rappbode Reservoir. Together with its auxiliary dams, the reservoir supplies drinking water and is owned by the Saxony-Anhalt Dam Company (Talsperrenbetrieb Sachsen-Anhalt).
The purpose of the auxiliary dam is to pre-clean water mechanically and biologically before it flows into the main reservoir.
Water can be collected from various heights and diverted to the reservoir.
The barrier itself is a 21 m high gravity dam. The bedrock consists mostly of grauwacke, but with some thinly laminated argillaceous shale
as well.
There is a circular path around the Hassel Auxiliary Dam. The crest of the dam is accessible to pedestrians and the lake may be fished provided permission is obtained.
The Hassel Auxiliary Dam is checkpoint no. 53 in the Harzer Wandernadel
hiking trail network.
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...
or pre-dam on the Rappbode Reservoir in the Harz mountains of central Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is located near Hasselfelde
Hasselfelde
Hasselfelde is a town in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated in the eastern Harz, approximately 17 km south of Wernigerode. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Oberharz am Brocken...
in the state of Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
and impounds the waters of the Hassel
Hassel (river)
The Hassel is a river in the East Harz Mountains in Germany. It flows through several municipalities including Stiege and the town of Hasselfelde. Its sources is located not far from Stiege. After about it flows into the Hassel Auxiliary Dam and later into the Rappbode Reservoir....
, the eastern of the two headwaters of the Rappbode Reservoir. Together with its auxiliary dams, the reservoir supplies drinking water and is owned by the Saxony-Anhalt Dam Company (Talsperrenbetrieb Sachsen-Anhalt).
The purpose of the auxiliary dam is to pre-clean water mechanically and biologically before it flows into the main reservoir.
Water can be collected from various heights and diverted to the reservoir.
The barrier itself is a 21 m high gravity dam. The bedrock consists mostly of grauwacke, but with some thinly laminated argillaceous shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
as well.
There is a circular path around the Hassel Auxiliary Dam. The crest of the dam is accessible to pedestrians and the lake may be fished provided permission is obtained.
The Hassel Auxiliary Dam is checkpoint no. 53 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 trail network.