Lac de Salanfe, Reservoir in Evionnaz, Valais, Switzerland

Lac de Salanfe is a reservoir in the Valais Alps, sitting at around 6,200 feet (1,900 meters) in a wide rocky basin. It lies at the foot of the Dents-du-Midi and is framed by other summits such as Tour Salière and Luisin.

The Salanfe dam is a gravity dam 52 metres high, built between 1947 and 1950; the English Wikipedia gives its completion as 1952. It feeds the Miéville power station, and water reaches it from the Salanfe and Saufla catchments through a 4 km gallery. Freezing caused irreversible deformation from swelling concrete, repaired in 2012-2013.

The reservoir is a crossing point for two long-distance walking routes, the Tour des Dents du Midi and the Via Alpina. A refuge beside the lake lets hikers spend the night, and the dam, raised between 1947 and 1950, feeds the Miéville power station.

The lake is reached on foot from Vernayaz by a 6.5 km footpath, or from Salvan. Trails such as Le tour des Dents du Midi and the Via Alpina cross at Salanfe, and a refuge beside the lake lets hikers stay the night.

The dam is a gravity structure 52 metres high, built between 1947 and 1950; the English Wikipedia gives 1952 for its completion. Its water comes from the Salanfe and Saufla catchments, carried to the dam by a 4 km gallery. Frost caused irreversible deformation through swelling of the concrete, and repairs were carried out in 2012-2013.