Cranzahl Dam
Encyclopedia
Cranzahl Dam is a dam
in the Free State of Saxony
in East Germany. It was built from 1949 to 1952 near Sehmatal
-Cranzahl and the Bärenstein mountain in the Ore Mountains
to supply drinking water to Annaberg-Buchholz
and the surrounding area. Together with the Sosa Dam
it was one of the two biggest dam construction projects of the newly-created GDR
. In keeping with the time it was called the Dam of Friendschip (Talsperre der Freundschaft).
The actual dam itself is a crooked earth-fill dam with a sloping inner seal of loam
. It is a large dam based on ICOLD criteria. The streams impounded by it are the Lampertsbach and the Moritzbach.
A trafficable track runs along the dam crest (500 metres). Bathing and water sports in the reservoir are not permitted. However there is a circular path of 3.5 kilometres for walkers, mountain-bikers and skiers.
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
in the Free State of Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
in East Germany. It was built from 1949 to 1952 near Sehmatal
Sehmatal
Sehmatal is a municipality in the district of Erzgebirgskreis, in Saxony, Germany, which was created in 1999 through the union of Neudorf, Cranzahl and Sehma. The three villages are located along the Sehma river, aligned in a north-south direction...
-Cranzahl and the Bärenstein mountain in the Ore Mountains
Ore Mountains
The Ore Mountains in Central Europe have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for many centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range...
to supply drinking water to Annaberg-Buchholz
Annaberg-Buchholz
Annaberg-Buchholz is a town in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, in the Erzgebirge, capital of the district Erzgebirgskreis.The town is located in the Ore Mountains, at the side of the Pöhlberg . It has three Protestant churches, among them that of St...
and the surrounding area. Together with the Sosa Dam
Sosa Dam
The Sosa Dam is a barrier in the Free State of Saxony in East Germany. It supplies drinking water to the Western Ore Mountains as well as acting as flood protection.- History :...
it was one of the two biggest dam construction projects of the newly-created GDR
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
. In keeping with the time it was called the Dam of Friendschip (Talsperre der Freundschaft).
The actual dam itself is a crooked earth-fill dam with a sloping inner seal of loam
Loam
Loam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
. It is a large dam based on ICOLD criteria. The streams impounded by it are the Lampertsbach and the Moritzbach.
A trafficable track runs along the dam crest (500 metres). Bathing and water sports in the reservoir are not permitted. However there is a circular path of 3.5 kilometres for walkers, mountain-bikers and skiers.