Sylvensteinspeicher
Encyclopedia
Sylvenstein Dam is an earthen embankment dam
in the Isar
valley, in the alpine part of Upper Bavaria
, Germany which impounds the Sylvenstein Reservoir .
Several hydropower
plants were built in the tributary
of the upper Isar river in the 1920s, for example at the Achensee
and Lake Walchen Power Plant
. Therefore, the river ran nearly dry during the dry season. This mainly affected the town of Bad Tölz
. A reservoir was established to ensure a minimum level of water in the river. During the dry season
a volumetric flow of 4 cubic metres per second is released to prevent the Isar from running dry. Additionally, the reservoir provides flood control
for the Isar river between Bad Tölz
and Munich.
The dam is 44 metres high and has a length of 180 metres. It was built between 1954 and 1959. From 1959 on, the water was also used to drive a hydropower plant of 3.2 MW. The plant was upgraded in 2000 with new turbines to generate 3.8 MW.
During the 2005 European floods
, because the maximum capacity of the reservoir was reached, more water than normal had to be released into the Isar river, but the flooding would have been more severe if the Sylvenstein Dam had not been present.
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
in the Isar
Isar
The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald, and flows through Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching the Danube near Deggendorf. At 295 km in length, it is the fourth largest river...
valley, in the alpine part of Upper Bavaria
Upper Bavaria
Upper Bavaria is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany.- Geography :Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered around the city of Munich. It is subdivided into four regions : Ingolstadt, Munich, Bayerisches Oberland , and Südostoberbayern...
, Germany which impounds the Sylvenstein Reservoir .
Several hydropower
Hydropower
Hydropower, hydraulic power, hydrokinetic power or water power is power that is derived from the force or energy of falling water, which may be harnessed for useful purposes. Since ancient times, hydropower has been used for irrigation and the operation of various mechanical devices, such as...
plants were built in the tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the upper Isar river in the 1920s, for example at the Achensee
Achensee
The Achensee is a lake north of Jenbach in Tyrol, Austria. It is the largest lake within the federal state, and has a maximal depth of 133 metres. Together with the Achental valley it parts the Karwendel mountain range in the west from the Brandenberg Alps in the east.Water quality is near drinking...
and Lake Walchen Power Plant
Lake Walchen Power Plant
The Walchensee Power Plant is a high pressure storage power station in Bavaria. With an installed output of 124 MW it is today one the largest of its kind in Germany...
. Therefore, the river ran nearly dry during the dry season. This mainly affected the town of Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
. A reservoir was established to ensure a minimum level of water in the river. During the dry season
Dry season
The dry season is a term commonly used when describing the weather in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which oscillates from the northern to the southern tropics over the course of the year...
a volumetric flow of 4 cubic metres per second is released to prevent the Isar from running dry. Additionally, the reservoir provides 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...
for the Isar river between Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz
Bad Tölz is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and administrative center of the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen.- History :Since the retreat of the glaciers at the end of the Ice Age, archaeology has shown continuous occupation of the site of Bad Tölz...
and Munich.
The dam is 44 metres high and has a length of 180 metres. It was built between 1954 and 1959. From 1959 on, the water was also used to drive a hydropower plant of 3.2 MW. The plant was upgraded in 2000 with new turbines to generate 3.8 MW.
During the 2005 European floods
2005 European floods
The 2005 European floods hit mainly Romania, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, as well as several other countries in Central Europe and Eastern Europe during August 2005...
, because the maximum capacity of the reservoir was reached, more water than normal had to be released into the Isar river, but the flooding would have been more severe if the Sylvenstein Dam had not been present.