Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet
Encyclopedia
Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet is an artificial water reservoir
for the Électricité de France
power station on the Drac River
. It belongs to the department of Isère
. It is bounded by the canyons of the Drac and Ebron.
The lake was created in 1961, when the 145-metre-high dam
was built. The lake is 10 kilometres long, and in some places up to 300 metres wide.
This lake is often windy and wavey. It is considered to be one of the best places for windsurfing
and kitesurfing
in Europe
. It is also an important site for fishing, as it has a great variety of fish species. Swimming in the lake is permitted.
The lake is bordered by the following municipalities: Avignonet
, Cognet
, Marcieu
, Mayres-Savel
, Monteynard
, La Motte-Saint-Martin
, Roissard
, Saint-Arey
, Sinard
, Treffort
.
In 2007 two simple suspension bridge
s were built across the Drac and Ebron. The bridges are 220 and 180 metres long, respectively, and used 1200 metres of cable. Depending on the level of the water in the lake, the Drac bridge is 45—85 meters high above the lake. Construction of the bridges was achieved with the help of helicopter
s.
The bridge design was based on traditional simple suspension bridge
s used in the Andes
(see Inca rope bridge
) and Himalayas
to cross deep gorges from rim to rim. Locally, the Drac and Ebron bridges are known as passerelles himalayennes (French
, "Himalayan footbridges"). Like some traditional bridges of this type, the Drac and Ebron bridges are stabilized with cables from below the deck.
The bridges allow hiking and biking from Matheysine
to Trièves, on a circuit of walking "journey and adventure" of 30 km route around the lake.
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...
for the Électricité de France
Électricité de France
Électricité de France S.A. is the second largest French utility company. Headquartered in Paris, France, with €65.2 billion in revenues in 2010, EDF operates a diverse portfolio of 120,000+ megawatts of generation capacity in Europe, Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.EDF is one of...
power station on the Drac River
Drac River
The Drac is a 130 km long river in southeastern France, left tributary of the Isère. It is formed by the confluence of the Drac Noir and the Drac Blanc, that both rise in the southern part of the Massif des Écrins. It flows through several reservoirs, including the Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet....
. It belongs to the department of Isère
Isère
Isère is a department in the Rhône-Alpes region in the east of France named after the river Isère.- History :Isère is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Dauphiné...
. It is bounded by the canyons of the Drac and Ebron.
The lake was created in 1961, when the 145-metre-high dam
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...
was built. The lake is 10 kilometres long, and in some places up to 300 metres wide.
This lake is often windy and wavey. It is considered to be one of the best places for windsurfing
Windsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
and kitesurfing
Kitesurfing
Kitesurfing or Kiteboarding is an adventure surface water sport that has been described as combining wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. Kitesurfing harnesses the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard or a...
in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It is also an important site for fishing, as it has a great variety of fish species. Swimming in the lake is permitted.
The lake is bordered by the following municipalities: Avignonet
Avignonet
Avignonet is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, Cognet
Cognet
Cognet may refer to:* An IRC network, formerly linked with Byxnet in 2001* Cognet, Isère, a town in France...
, Marcieu
Marcieu
Marcieu is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, Mayres-Savel
Mayres-Savel
Mayres-Savel is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, Monteynard
Monteynard
Monteynard is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, La Motte-Saint-Martin
La Motte-Saint-Martin
La Motte-Saint-Martin is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, Roissard
Roissard
Roissard is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, Saint-Arey
Saint-Arey
Saint-Arey is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.-References:*...
, Sinard
Sinard
Sinard is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
, Treffort
Treffort
Treffort is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France....
.
The bridges
Simple suspension bridge
A simple suspension bridge is an early type of bridge that is supported entirely from anchors at either end, and has no towers or piers. However, it may have saddles...
s were built across the Drac and Ebron. The bridges are 220 and 180 metres long, respectively, and used 1200 metres of cable. Depending on the level of the water in the lake, the Drac bridge is 45—85 meters high above the lake. Construction of the bridges was achieved with the help of helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
s.
Simple suspension bridge
A simple suspension bridge is an early type of bridge that is supported entirely from anchors at either end, and has no towers or piers. However, it may have saddles...
s used in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
(see Inca rope bridge
Inca rope bridge
Inca rope bridges were simple suspension bridges over canyons and gorges to provide access for the Inca Empire. Bridges of this type were suitable for use since the Inca people did not use wheeled transport—traffic was limited to pedestrians and livestock. The bridges were an integral part...
) and Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
to cross deep gorges from rim to rim. Locally, the Drac and Ebron bridges are known as passerelles himalayennes (French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, "Himalayan footbridges"). Like some traditional bridges of this type, the Drac and Ebron bridges are stabilized with cables from below the deck.
The bridges allow hiking and biking from Matheysine
Matheysine
Matheysine is a French Natural region located in the Alps at the south of the Isère département. Its relief is a plateau surroundered by mountains. Matheysine is also called Plateau Matheysin.-Geography:...
to Trièves, on a circuit of walking "journey and adventure" of 30 km route around the lake.