Zervreilasee

The Zervreilasee located in the canton of Graubünden in the municipality of Vals. The name comes from the village of Zerfreila that went down, when the lake was dammed in 1957. His arch-gravity dam was built by Motor-Columbus. You can reach the reservoir only from Ilanz ago by Valsertal. Last major town before the reservoir is Vals. Embedded is the lake between the Frunthorn ( 3030 m high), the Fanellhorn ( 3124 m ) and the Zervreilahorn ( 2898 m).

Above the lake, in the small settlement Frunt, the St. Anne's Chapel stands.

History

Since 1916, the community of Vals had a small hydroelectric power plant with two turbines and two generators. Because inflow problems but most could only operate a turbine. The power plant is therefore often delivered too little electricity for the community, and the villagers were sitting in the dark.

After protracted and difficult negotiations with large power plants to the water use of the Grisons valleys the concession for the new power plant was issued to a community meeting on 18 December 1948. 1952 Finally, the power plants Zerveila AG, Vals was founded and owned by the Sernf - Niederbach AG, the NOK and the former Motor-Columbus. The power plant was officially opened with a two-day celebration ( September 4/5 1959).

The entire area Länta with the Lampertsch -Alp (1991 m) in the continuation of the valley of Vals Rhine is also part of the power plant company, since obviously a second, higher lake was considered in the planning.

The municipality of Vals refers more and more electricity from the power plant. When licensing was determined that the community can relate to 200 MWh to 800 MWh free and at a bargain price. In 1960, the related energy was only 553 MWh. 2005 but the village spent already several times ( 17'421 MWh). Since 2003, the municipality owns nearly 6 % of the share capital of the power plant.

The Zervreilastaumauer, especially the interior, was an inspiration for the design of Peter Zumthor Therme Vals initiated in 1996.

Pictures

Way to the dam

Dam and reservoir