Lac de Kruth-Wildenstein

The Lac de Kruth - Wildenstein ( German Krüt - Wildensteiner reservoir), often only Lac de Wildenstein ( Wildenstein Lake ) is a reservoir in the southern Vosges in Alsace, France. Despite its name, the lake is not on the territory of the municipality Wildenstein, but belongs to Kruth and to a small extent to Fellering.

Geographical location

The Krüth - Wildensteiner reservoir is located in the upper part of the valley of Saint -Amarin between the villages of Wildenstein in the north and in the south Kruth. Is Bathed the reservoir of the Thur. The southern end forms the 666 m high castle hill with the ruins of Wildenstein.

Purpose

The Krüth - Wildensteiner reservoir accumulated during the spring melt water which flows from the surrounding mountains of the Hautes-Vosges. It thus serves the flood protection needs in the Thur valley towns. The lake has a storage capacity of 12 million m³. Due to the low gradient of the river Thur in this section of the river was to dispense with the construction of a hydroelectric power plant.

History

In 1947, the Thur valley was devastated as a result of a dam break above Wildenstein by a catastrophic flood. The plans for the dam translated in 1954, construction began in 1959 and was completed in 1963.

Tourism

In summer, during the full congestion of the lake is also used for recreational relaxation. It provides opportunities for all sorts of watersports, including sailing, windsurfing and scuba diving. Even with anglers, the lake is popular for its fish wealth.