Einsiedel Dam

The dam Einsiedel is a dam in the Free State of Saxony. It is used for drinking water supply of Chemnitz and in conjunction with the dam system "Middle Ore Mountains " in addition to the dams Neunzehnhain I, II and Saidenbach the entire coverage area by the association distance water Südsachsen.

Construction, use and history

In May 1883 Chemnitz exceeded the population of 100,000 and was the 15th city in Germany. The drinking water supply of the city was carried out by a 1872-1874 built waterworks, but that could not keep pace with rising water demand of the growing city. A capacity expansion was no longer possible due to limited conditions of the terrain and the increasing pollution of the Zwoenitz so that the extraction of water had to be changed base on surface water. Against the dam site in the municipality of Stadtguttal located below the proposed dam Einsiedel had objected unsuccessfully in the wake of 1889 carried collapse of the South Fork Dam with around 2,200 dead. Between November 7, 1890 ( foundation stone ) and the June 14, 1894 ( initiation) was the oldest water - dam of Saxony, which is the third oldest in Germany at the same time after the Eschbachtalsperre and the tank dam. Construction costs amounted to 1.3 million marks, an average of 142 workers were employed in the construction. For water treatment, was below the dam, a water plant, which led the treated water through a 3.3 km long tunnel in the Chemnitz water mains. At the time of commissioning was the dam Einsiedel as a technological masterpiece. She was honored at the world exhibitions in Paris (1900 ) and St. Louis. The dam of the dam Einsiedel is a curved gravity dam of rubble masonry in part at the Intze principle, but has no Intzekeil, no retaining wall drainage and no water-side protection shell ( delusion ). She is a " large dam " by ICOLD criteria. The jammed waters is the Stadtguttalbach, and there is a reconciliation of the dam Neunzehnhain I. The dam is used for drinking water, so swimming, fishing, recreational sports, etc. are not possible in the reservoir. The dam serves only to a small extent for flood protection.