Lac des Toules, reservoir
Lac des Toules is a large reservoir in the Valais Alps at an elevation of about 1,810 meters (5,940 feet), fed by the Dranse river, three intake points, and nine glaciers. It covers roughly 60 hectares and extends for about 1.5 kilometers, with its water held back by an arch-dome dam built in the 1960s.
Construction began in summer 1960 and finished in 1964, creating Switzerland's first arch-dome dam. A reinforcement project was carried out in 2008 to strengthen the structure and improve its capacity to handle heavy rainfall and water discharge.
The name Toules comes from the local valley tradition and heritage of the region. Today, visitors and residents use the shores for quiet walks and moments of reflection, which shows how the community values the calm beauty of mountain spaces.
The site is easily accessible by road and offers peaceful walks along the shores. Guided visits to the dam are available from June through October by arrangement, providing insight into how water control and electricity generation work.
Since 2019, a floating solar platform holding 2,240 square meters of solar panels has been in operation on the water's surface, generating enough electricity for about 227 households annually. This was among the first such projects in Swiss mountain regions and demonstrates how renewable energy can be produced on water.
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