Schwarzenbach Dam

The Schwarzenbach Dam (German: Schwarzenbachtalsperre) is a gravity dam near Forbach in the Northern Black Forest of Germany. It is the most important structure of the Rudolf-Fettweis-Werk's pumped storage power station. The operator of the dam, which was completed in 1926 in a side valley of the Murg valley, is EnBW Kraftwerke.

Schwarzenbach Dam
The dam, view looking south with the hotel in the background
Location of Schwarzenbach Dam in Germany
Country	Germany
Coordinates	48°39′17″N 8°19′46″E
Purpose	Power
Status	Operational
Construction began	1922
Opening date	1926
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity
Height	65 m (213 ft)
Length	400 m (1,300 ft)
Reservoir
Total capacity	14.4×10^^6 m^3 (11,700 acre⋅ft)

Description

The reservoir collects the water on the eastern slopes of the rainy main crest of the Northern Black Forest, below the mountains of Hornisgrinde, Mehliskopf and Badener Höhe. The Schwarzenbach and Seebach streams are directly impounded, the water of the Biberach and Hundsbach (headstreams of the Raumünzach) are led by galleries from neighbouring valleys. In addition, the water of the Murg from the Murg Dam is pumped into the reservoir. The dam system provides load balancing in the energy supply. Its maximum output is 44 megawatts (59,000 hp).

Leisure

The Schwarzenbach Reservoir is a popular recreation destination with the Central/North Black Forest Nature Park. It is a base for hiking tours and also has facilities for swimming, fishing and windsurfing. On the dam wall is a hotel (closed since 2011); in its vicinity is a boat hire stand. The Black Forest National Park borders its southern shore.

See also

• List of dams in Germany

Literature

• Manfred Fieting: Die Schwarzenbach-Talsperre und das Murg-Hochdruckwerk, Sutton Verlag, Erfurt, 2003, ISBN 978-3-89702-633-9.

External links

• Schwarzenbach Dam
• Schwarzenbach Dam at Structurae
• Aerial photograph of the empty lake