Lipno Dam

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The Lipno Dam is a dam with hydroelectric plant constructed along the Vltava River in the Czech Republic.

[edit] History

Due to frequent flooding and subsequent damage, the Vltava River in Southern Bohemia had been problematic for the Český Krumlov and other settlements, through which it flowed. To harness the power of the river, and to prevent continued catastrophe, it was decided that a hydroelectric plant would be built high on the Vltava. [1] Preparatory work at the town of Lipno began in 1951. Construction proper on the dam began in 1952, and the dam was completed in 1960.[2]

[edit] Geography

The stream bed of the Vltava near Lipno was chosen because it has a slight incline, facilitating the construction of a reservoir there. [3] The dam is built along the highest-elevated stage of the Vltava River's cascade [4] (roughly 726 metres above sea level), thus enabling large amounts of hydropower out-put. This area is mountainous, and borders the Šumava National Park and Nature Reserve. Linked to the main reservoir by an artificial sub-terrainian waterway is a smaller reservoir located near Vyšší Brod. This smaller reservoir, labeled 'Lipno II', serves to level the water of the main reservoir.

Coordinates: 48°42′N, 14°04′E