Wippra Dam
Encyclopedia
The Wippra Dam or Wipper Dam ( or Wippertalsperre) is a dam
on the river Wipper in the Harz mountains. It lies near Wippra
, not far from Mansfeld
and Hettstedt
in Saxony-Anhalt
. It was built between February 1951 and November 1952.
It was built in order to ensure the supply of industrial water to the copper
-processing plants in Mansfeld and Hettstedt. Its role in flood protection is rather limited because it was originally only built as an auxiliary dam. Plans for a bigger main dam further down the valley never came to fruition. The Wipper Dam also generates electricity using hydropower
. The rated capacity of the power station
is 22 kW.
Its operator is Talsperrenbetrieb Saxony-Anhalt.
The barrier itself is a gravity dam made of concrete
. Guided tours of the inside of the dam are available.
On the dam is checkpoint no. 219 in the Harzer Wandernadel
hiking system.
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...
on the river Wipper in the Harz mountains. It lies near Wippra
Wippra
Wippra is a former municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2008, it is part of the town Sangerhausen....
, not far from Mansfeld
Mansfeld
Mansfeld is a town in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Wipper, 10 km northwest of Eisleben....
and Hettstedt
Hettstedt
Hettstedt is a town in Mansfeld-Südharz district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, on the Wipper.As of 1911, Hettstedt engaged in the manufacture of machinery, pianofortes, and artificial manure, and the surrounding district and villages were occupied with smelting due to the nearby mines of argentiferous...
in 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...
. It was built between February 1951 and November 1952.
It was built in order to ensure the supply of industrial water to the copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
-processing plants in Mansfeld and Hettstedt. Its role in flood protection is rather limited because it was originally only built as an auxiliary dam. Plans for a bigger main dam further down the valley never came to fruition. The Wipper Dam also generates electricity using 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...
. The rated capacity of the power station
Power station
A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....
is 22 kW.
Its operator is Talsperrenbetrieb Saxony-Anhalt.
The barrier itself is a gravity dam made of concrete
Concrete
Concrete is a composite construction material, composed of cement and other cementitious materials such as fly ash and slag cement, aggregate , water and chemical admixtures.The word concrete comes from the Latin word...
. Guided tours of the inside of the dam are available.
On the dam is checkpoint no. 219 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 system.