Lac du Barrage de Sarrans, Reservoir in Cantoin, France.
The reservoir covers approximately 247 acres (100 hectares) and extends 21.7 miles (35 kilometers) along the Truyère River, holding around 79 billion gallons (300 million cubic meters) of water behind a gravity dam that rises 344 feet (105 meters) high.
Construction of the Sarrans Dam began in 1929 and was completed in 1934, employing thousands of workers from across Europe and the Maghreb, with several losing their lives during the dangerous construction process.
The dam once supplied approximately 15 percent of France's electricity needs and remains a symbol of early 20th-century hydroelectric engineering achievements in the region.
The site offers recreational activities including supervised swimming, fishing, boating, cycling routes, and zip lining, with picnic areas and a belvedere providing panoramic views of the dam and surrounding landscape.
A major reservoir emptying in 2014 revealed remnants of the submerged medieval village of Tréboul, including old farmhouses, dry stone walls, and a historic bridge dating back centuries.
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