The Rappbode Auxiliary Dam () is one of the two
auxiliary dams in the
Rappbode Dam
The Rappbode Dam () is the largest dam in the Harz region as well as the highest dam in Germany. Together with several other dams and retention basins, it forms the flood protection system for the eastern Harz.
The individual dams
;Königshüt ...
system. This is the heart of the Rappbode Dam system in the East Harz, which is operated by the Saxony-Anhalt Dam Company (''Talsperrenbetrieb des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt'') and which also includes the
and the
Königshütte Königshütte may refer to:
* Königshütte (Silesia) Königshütte may refer to:
* Königshütte (Silesia), German name for Chorzów, Poland
* Königshütte (Harz), a village in Germany
{{geodis ..., German name for Chorzów, Poland
* Königshà ...
,
Mandelholz and
Wendefurth
Wendefurth is a hamlet in central Germany that, since 1 July 2009, has been part of the borough of Thale district of Landkreis Harz, Harz. Previously it belonged to the municipality of Altenbrak which was incorporated into Thale.
Geographical loc ...
dams.
The Rappbode Auxiliary Dam near
Trautenstein
Trautenstein is a village in the borough of Oberharz am Brocken in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Formerly an independent municipality, it was merged into the town Hasselfelde in 2002, which was merged into Oberharz am ...
is used, together with the main dam, for supplying
drinking water
Drinking water or potable water is water that is safe for ingestion, either when drunk directly in liquid form or consumed indirectly through food preparation. It is often (but not always) supplied through taps, in which case it is also calle ...
and for
flood protection
Flood management or flood control are methods used to reduce or prevent the detrimental effects of flood waters. Flooding can be caused by a mix of both natural processes, such as extreme weather upstream, and human changes to waterbodies and ru ...
.
The auxiliary dam impounds the
River Rappbode. It has a 25 m high
gravity dam
A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is ...
.
The area around the Rappbode Auxiliary Dam is well-suited to
walking
Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an " inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults o ...
. Its eastern shore is dominated by numerous rocky crags. On the most important lakeside rocks, where today the reservoir and, formerly, the Rappbode river makes a small bend, there was once a castle, the
Trageburg, which, like the
Susenburg not far away, was used to guard an old long-distance trade route.
Gallery
File:RappbodeVorsperreTrageburgfelsen.jpg, Trageburg castle once stood on these central rocks
File:RappbodeTalsperreSued.jpg, Southern section of the reservoir with the Trageburg rocks on the left-hand side
File:RappbodevorsperreFelsverzierung.jpg, The eastern shore is guarded by crags
File:RappbodevorsperreSuedende.jpg, The southern end near Trautenstein
Trautenstein is a village in the borough of Oberharz am Brocken in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Formerly an independent municipality, it was merged into the town Hasselfelde in 2002, which was merged into Oberharz am ...
See also
*
List of dams in the Harz
In the Harz mountains, there is a higher than average number of dams with their associated Reservoir, reservoirs. The reason is that the Harz is one of the regions with the heaviest rainfall in Germany and so its water power was utilised very ear ...
*
List of reservoirs and dams in Germany
These are dams and reservoirs in Germany.
The German word ''Talsperre'' (literally: valley barrier) may mean dam, but it is often used to include the associated reservoir as well. The reservoirs are often separately given names ending in ''-see' ...
External links
The Rappbode Auxiliary Dam ('Predam')
Saxony-Anhalt Dam Company{{in lang, de
Dams in the Harz
Dams in Saxony-Anhalt
Dams completed in 1961