Hochwasserrückhaltebecken Jonenbach, Flood retention basin in Zürich, Switzerland
The Jonenbach detention basin is a flood control facility near Zürich consisting of an earth dam 163 meters long. The structure includes bottom outlets and spillway mechanisms that direct water or hold it back as conditions change.
The facility was built between 2004 and 2007 in response to major floods in 1994 and 1999 that caused significant damage. The project aimed to prevent such disasters from happening again.
The basin shows how Swiss engineering takes nature seriously. Fish passages and natural bank design let aquatic life move upstream and create habitats for plants and animals.
The site is open to the public and offers good viewing points from the dam. Visitors should note that heavy rainfall can cause the water level to rise quickly.
The basin proved itself right after completion, successfully preventing floods in 2007 and 2008. These early successes demonstrated that the engineering approach was sound.
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