Lac d'Emosson
Encyclopedia
Lac d'Emosson is a reservoir
in the canton of Valais
, Switzerland
. It is located in the municipalities of Salvan
and Finhaut
. The closest major 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 first dam of Emosson (also known as Barberine Dam) was built in 1925. The current dam with a height of 180 m was completed in 1974 and floods the old dam. It increased the reservoir's volume from 40 mio m³ to 227 mio m³. The old dam can still be seen when the water level in the Lac d'Emosson is very low.
To reach the dam a funicular railway is used, which is the steepest 2-cabin funicular railway in the world with a gradient of 87 percent.
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...
in the canton of Valais
Valais
The Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. It is located in the municipalities of Salvan
Salvan, Switzerland
Salvan is a municipality in the district of Saint-Maurice, in the canton of Valais, Switzerland.-History:Salvan is first mentioned in 1018 as cum Silvano. Around 1025-31 it was mentioned as in monte Salvano. The municipality was formerly known by its German name Scharwang, however, that name is...
and Finhaut
Finhaut
Finhaut is a municipality in the district of Saint-Maurice in the canton of Valais in Switzerland.-Geography:Finhaut has an area, , of . Of this area, 3.2% is used for agricultural purposes, while 26.3% is forested...
. The closest major 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 first dam of Emosson (also known as Barberine Dam) was built in 1925. The current dam with a height of 180 m was completed in 1974 and floods the old dam. It increased the reservoir's volume from 40 mio m³ to 227 mio m³. The old dam can still be seen when the water level in the Lac d'Emosson is very low.
To reach the dam a funicular railway is used, which is the steepest 2-cabin funicular railway in the world with a gradient of 87 percent.