The Eschbach Dam () was the first

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

to be built in Germany for drinking water supply. It is located in

Remscheid Remscheid () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is, after Wuppertal and Solingen, the third-largest municipality in Bergisches Land, being located on the northern edge of the region, on the south side of the Ruhr area. Remscheid ha ...

North Rhine-Westphalia North Rhine-Westphalia or North-Rhine/Westphalia, commonly shortened to NRW, is a States of Germany, state () in Old states of Germany, Western Germany. With more than 18 million inhabitants, it is the List of German states by population, most ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. With its opening in 1891, this pioneer work of

hydraulic engineering Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the move ...

was a milestone in the economic development of the city of

History

The Eschbach Dam was designed by pioneering

hydraulic engineer Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the move ...

and professor Otto Intze. It was constructed during the years 1889 to 1891 by the industrialist Robert Böker following the idea of the Intze Principle. Until the beginning of the 20th century it was common in Germany to name the dam after the city where it stood rather than the waters it impounded. Consequently, in the writings of the times, the Eschbach Dam is also called the Remscheid Dam. This impressive work of water commerce saw many diverse imitations worldwide and was a popular tourist destination from the beginning. Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia visited the dam on 15 July 1897. Two years later, Emperor

Wilhelm II Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...

visited the dam and praised it as a great work of construction technology and water commerce. In 1977, in order to make the dam more attractive to visitors, a road was built around the reservoir that led to a nature trail. The dam was redeveloped from 1991 to 1994. It was refortified with a 35 cm (13 in) thick concrete retaining wall and an inspection walkway on the water side. A new drainage system was also added, along with new removal processors and monitoring systems. A good view of the remodeled retaining wall and the water of the reservoir encircled by trees can be seen from the terrace of the A 1's ''Remscheid'' motorway services.

Dam network

The dam belongs to the water association of the Wupper Association. It is connected to the Neye Dam and is fed through there as needed.

External links

*
Stadt Remscheid: Eschbachtalsperre

Bergisches Land: Eschbachtalsperre
{{in lang, de Dams in North Rhine-Westphalia Buildings and structures in Remscheid Dams completed in 1891 1891 establishments in Germany

History

Dam network

See also

External links