Achen Lake

Achen Lake

in autumn
Location Tyrol
Coordinates 47°26′N 11°43′E / 47.433°N 11.717°E / 47.433; 11.717Coordinates: 47°26′N 11°43′E / 47.433°N 11.717°E / 47.433; 11.717
Primary inflows Buchauer Bach, Dalfazer Bach, Wankratz Bach
Primary outflows Achen Bach
Basin countries Austria
Max. length 9.4 km (5.8 mi)
Max. width 1 km (0.62 mi)
Surface area 6.8 km2 (2.6 sq mi)
Max. depth 133 m (436 ft)
Water volume 0.481 km3 (0.115 cu mi)
Surface elevation 929 m (3,048 ft)

Lake Achen (German: Achensee) is a lake north of Jenbach in Tyrol, Austria. It is the largest lake within the federal state, and has a maximal depth of 133 metres. Together with the Achen Valley it parts the Karwendel mountain range in the west from the Brandenberg Alps in the east.

Water quality is near drinking water, with sight up to 10 m below the surface. An alpine lake, water temperature is accordingly low, rarely above 20 °C. Its size and wind conditions make it suitable for windsurfing.

Eben am Achensee, Achenkirch, and Pertisau are municipalities on the lake.

History

The city of Innsbruck bought the lake in 1919 from the St. Georgenberg-Fiecht Abbey, who had received it from the rulers of Schlitters around 1120.

Powerplant

Since 1924, the lake is managed by the Tiroler Wasserkraft AG (TIWAG), which was founded for this purpose.

Originally, its only outflow was the Achenbach, feeding the Isar. Since 1927, when a power plant in Jenbach was finished, it primarily feeds the Inn, at a level difference of 380 m below. Eight pelton wheels at 500 RPM produce a total of 96 MW.

In winter, the level of the lake is lowered by up to 6 meters; accordingly the size of the lake keeps changing. At maximum level, the reservoir can store 66 million m³ of water.

Tourism

St. Joseph (1887)
St. Benedikt, about 1900

When the Unterinntalbahn railway was finished in 1859, tourism started to flourish. In order to make the abbey profit, the first steamboat St. Josef was acquired in 1887.[1] Furthermore the construction of the 7 km long Achenseebahn narrow gauge rack railway was initiated, which went into service in 1889 between Jenbach and Seespitz. The same year, on July 21 a second steamboat, the St. Benedikt went into service. In 1890 the two boats with a capacity of 320 seats transported about 30,000 persons.

In 1911 a third scheduled boat, the Stella Maris went into service. It was the first passenger boat on a lake in the Danubian monarchy originally equipped with a diesel engine. The boat was designed for 400 passengers, and featured a particularly silent engine at low rpm, similar to those that later were used in the submarines of World War I.

However, the Stella Maris was difficult to manoeuvre. When the lake was bought by the city of Innsbruck in 1919, the boat was renamed into Stadt Innsbruck. In 1925 a motorboat named Tirol was acquired, and in 1927 for the first time more than 100,000 persons were transported.

In 1959 the St. Benedikt was replaced with a modern ship of the same name with a diesel engine. In 1971 the Tirol was replaced with a larger Tirol II for 40 passengers. In 1994 the MS Tirol went into service, replacing the Stadt Innsbruck, and in August 2007 the MS Stadt Innsbruck[1] replaced the St. Benedikt.

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 {{cite web{{|title=Die Flotte der Achenseeschiffahrt |publisher=Tirol-Schiffahrt |url=http://www.tirol-schiffahrt.at/start.php?t=0&m=2 |accessdate=2008-08-06 |language=German |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060221035922/http://www.tirol-schiffahrt.at/start.php?t=0&m=2 |archivedate=2006-02-21 }}

Literature

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Achensee.
Wikisource has the text of the 1905 New International Encyclopedia article Achen Lake.
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