Saalachsee, Reservoir in Kibling, Schneizlreuth, Germany

Saalachsee is a reservoir in Kibling, part of the municipality of Schneizlreuth in Bavaria, impounded by the Saalach dam, also called the Kiblinger Sperre. The dam is part of the Saalachkraftwerk Bad Reichenhall, a hydroelectric plant that generates traction current for the railway. The lake lies in the Saalach valley, and its water level is regulated by the weir.

The Kiblinger Sperre dam was built from 1910 to 1913 as part of the Saalachkraftwerk Bad Reichenhall, erected to electrify the Freilassing–Bad Reichenhall and Bad Reichenhall–Berchtesgaden lines and the Freilassing–Salzburg section of the Rosenheim–Salzburg railway. From late 2014 the weir was rebuilt and raised after the bottom-outlet field had leaked for years; the reservoir was full again by summer 2016.

The reservoir is named after the Saalach, the river it impounds; the dam itself is called the Saalach-Staumauer, Kiblinger Sperre or Stauwehr Kibling. Since 2005 up to 6 m³/s of residual water flows through the original riverbed between the weir and the tailrace outlet, and the small residual-water plant at the dam supplies railway current.

The lake is easily accessible by car or bicycle with small parking areas nearby. The Saalachseerundweg, a walking trail about 13 kilometers long, circles the lake and follows the river, and the area is less crowded on weekdays.

The reservoir silts up as sediment carried by the Saalach settles in it, especially during floods. Because that material is then missing downstream, the riverbed below the dam cuts deeper each year, which requires costly structures such as bed ramps. Since 2005 up to 6 m³/s of residual water flows through the original riverbed again.