Kelbra Dam

The Kelbra Dam, behind which is the also flood retention basins Kelbra Kelbra called reservoir is located, is a dam on the helmets in Saxony- Anhalt and Thuringia in smaller parts.

Purpose

The dam was built to protect against flooding and is used by their reservoir in the recording of over the helmets and its tributaries from the resin in the southern Harz mountains flowing water quantities. The reservoir is used for irrigation, fishing and recreation. Both collectively and cooperatively controlled by the Thuringian district water supply and the reservoir operation of Saxony- Anhalt.

Dam

The Kelbra Dam, which was built from 1962 to 1966 between Berga and Kelbra in the area between Nordhausen in the west and Sanger in the east Golden Meadows is located in the district of Mansfeld - South Harz, Saxony- Anhalt, on the northwestern end of the Kyffhaeuser Mountains. It is only a few kilometers from the border with Thuringia and dammed the water of the river system of the helmets to the reservoir Kelbra on.

Your major and minor dam are windrows of gravel and cohesive earth materials. Both have an inclined inner seal out of clay on the water side.

The top of the main dam of the dam Kelbra is 4,066 m long and 7 m high above the valley floor; the acute angle extending side dam is 3,379 meters long.

On the south bank of the dam is the Numburghöhle.

Reservoir

The reservoir is located on the Kelbra helmets behind the dam at the northwest foot of Kelbra Kyffhaeuser Mountains. It is located in the Golden Meadows predominantly in Saxony-Anhalt, Mansfeld - South Harz; only a small region in its extreme southwestern part, which is located at the junction of the Kyffhaeuser circle and the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia is located on the southwestern shore thrusts his.

So usually dry Exposed - - Flood retention basins planned for the dam initially had only a green one. It was then but a major dam built to create a permanent artificial lake, and a side dam to get a basin which receives the bulk of the helmets river system in the event of a flood. Thus, there are now two basins adjacent, of which the lower the duration of storage - so as a permanent reservoir - at a level of the lake to 155.25 m above sea level. NN has 12.3 million m³ of storage space and about 600 hectares. The upper basin, which adjoins the western and northwestern shore as cropland and pasture area is impounded only in the event of a flood. Together, both pools to 35.6 million cubic meters of storage space, of which 23 million cubic meters serve as flood control space.

After the age of the sample storage reservoir Kelbra, which lasted until 1969, he was officially put into operation.

At the reservoir, which is largely used for tourist purposes, there are opportunities for sailing and windsurfing, a textile and naturist beach, camping, boat and bike rentals, a water slide and near the lake several restaurants and other facilities.

Internationally important bird life

Of international importance, the reservoir is due to its bird life, the settlement of comparable waters for comparison in types as well as number of individuals. So here are reliable ducks ( eg, stock, teal, pochard ), waders ( lapwing, snipe, redshank, curlew ), divers (hoods, minke, black-necked grebe ), Coot ( Water Rail, Coot ), Mute Swan, Black-headed Gull and bitterns ( dwarf pipe and bittern ) observed. But eagles, osprey, peregrine falcons and cormorants can be found here. Particularly impressive is the variety of birds during migration, where the reservoir raced up to 17,000 cranes and pull through large larks and finches swarms. Since 1978, the dam stands as an internationally significant bird sanctuary under the protection of the Ramsar Convention.