Lago del Narèt, reservoir in Val Sambuco, Ticino, Switzerland

Lago del Narèt is a reservoir in the Val Sambuco, in the municipality of Lavizzara, Ticino, created in the late 1960s by damming the young Maggia river with two dams, Narèt I and Narèt II. Its surface area is 86 hectares and its water level is at 2310 metres above sea level. The nearest village is Fusio, and several smaller mountain lakes drain into it.

Lago del Narèt was created at the end of the 1960s by the Maggia power company (Maggia Kraftwerke), which dammed the young Maggia river in the uppermost Val Sambuco with two dams, Narèt I and Narèt II. The reservoir stores summer rain and meltwater for winter power production; water is also pumped up from the Lago di Robièi balancing basin. Its stored volume can generate 150 million kWh, converted in the Robièi, Bavona, Cavergno and Verbano plants before reaching Lake Maggiore.

The easiest access is by car from Locarno through Fusio to the parking area near the reservoir, though the narrow mountain road is best suited for smaller vehicles. Prepare for changing weather with layered clothing, sturdy shoes, water, and snacks, as the high elevation can be cold even in summer months.

The lake is linked by a seven-kilometre underground pressure tunnel to Lago dei Cavagnöö, which also collects water from Lago Sfundau, adding an indirect catchment of 6.02 km². Water is even pumped up from the Lago di Robièi compensation basin. Because the surface lies at about 2,300 m and Lago Maggiore at 193 m, each cubic metre of stored water yields an energy equivalent of 4.75 kWh.