Sihlsee
| Sihlsee | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Map | |
| Location | Canton of Schwyz |
| Coordinates | 47°07′N 8°47′E / 47.117°N 8.783°ECoordinates: 47°07′N 8°47′E / 47.117°N 8.783°E |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Sihl, Minster |
| Primary outflows | Sihl |
| Basin countries | Switzerland |
| Max. length | 8.5 kilometres (5 mi) |
| Max. width | 2.5 kilometres (2 mi) |
| Surface area | 11.3 km² |
| Max. depth | 17 metres (56 ft) |
| Water volume | 96 mio m³ |
| Surface elevation | 889 metres (2,917 ft) |
| Settlements | Gross, Willerzell, Birchli, Euthal |
The Sihlsee (in English sometimes called Lake Sihl) is an artificial lake near Einsiedeln in the Canton of Schwyz, Switzerland.
Geography
The lake is the largest artificial lake of Switzerland in terms of surface with a maximum length of 8.5 kilometres (5 mi) and maximum width of 2.5 kilometres (2 mi). The largest depth measures 17 metres (56 ft).
Sihlsee dam and power plant
The power plant project started in 1932. A concrete dam and two viaducts over the lake were built before 1937 the upper Sihl valley was flooded. Thus 55 farms disappeared completely and 1762 persons had to leave their homeland.
The Sihlsee has a volume of approximately 96 millions m³ and feeds the Etzelwerk in Altendorf, Schwyz, on the upper Lake Zürich (Obersee) which supplies current for the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB).
Its concrete dam is 33 metres (108 ft) high and 124 metres (407 ft) m long. The break of the dam could lead, according to studies, to an 8 metres (26 ft) high flood wave through the lower Sihl Valley reaching the Altstadt of the city of Zürich, the biggest city in Switzerland, within 2 hours.[1]
References
- ↑ Stadt Zürich: Wasseralarm Sihlsee PDF (387 KB)
External links
Media related to Sihlsee at Wikimedia Commons
- www.sihlsee.ch.vu - Informations about the Sihlsee
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