Fierza Reservoir

The lake flooded the town of Kukes, which was rebuilt at a higher position

The Fierza Reservoir ( Albanian Liqeni i Fierzës ), with its area of 72.6 km ², the largest reservoir in Albania. Its 152 m high dam at the place Fierza is the largest dam in the country. Barrage across the Drin on the confluence of the headwaters of White Drin and Black Drin. The reservoir ranges in the valley of the White Drin to cross the border into Kosovo. The water table is at 295 müa height. The lake holds around 2.7 billion cubic meters, equivalent to around 25 % of the annual flow.

The rockfill dam was built in 1971-1978 and inaugurated in 1979. It was planned and initially also built with Chinese assistance. It is a rockfill dam, which is up to 167 m high above the valley floor and 152 m above the foundation level. The drop height is 118 m. The connected hydropower plant has four turbines of the Francis type with 125 MW, 500 MW together. It is the second largest hydro plant in Albania and about producing a third of the Albanian electricity demand. 2003, the average annual production was reported to be 1328 GWh. Due to water shortages, electricity production in recent years had to be shut down repeatedly drastically. In January 2010, however, a lot of water over the spillway tunnels had to be discharged because there was a danger that the dam is flooded and the electricity production collapses.

The Fierza reservoir is up to 128 m deep and part of a series of dams along the drins. The following Koman Reservoir ( Liqeni Komanit i ) is used in the remote mountain region also as a communication. The third reservoir with the dam Vau Deja forming the Liqen i Vaut të Dejës 24.7 km ², which is the farthest west. The Black Drin is jammed in Macedonia just before the border with Albania nor to Debarsko ežero.

The impoundment of the reservoir caused Fierza in the 1980s, some political controversy. The Albanians impounded it without consultation with the Yugoslavs to beyond the border and put on some border areas in Yugoslavia under water. On the Albanian side, the city of Kukes had to be moved because it was inundated by the flood waters.

By 2007, the hydroelectric plant Fierza has been renovated with the help of Switzerland. The efficiency of the turbines and generators has been increased thereby. On 29 March 2007 the hydroelectric power plant was commissioned in the presence of the Albanian Energy Minister again. Later, a system has been created, which monitors the stability of the dam.