Lake Kemnade, Reservoir and water sports venue between Bochum, Hattingen and Witten, Germany.
Lake of Kemnade is a reservoir between Bochum, Hattingen and Witten in Germany. The water body extends over several kilometers and is surrounded by a continuous shoreline path that connects boat docks, sports marina facilities and swimming spots.
Karl Imhoff of the Ruhrverband proposed a chain of eight Ruhr reservoirs in 1927, including one between Haus Herbede and Haus Kemnade; poor finances shelved it in 1931 and a smaller 1933 version was never built. After the Ruhr University was founded in 1962, the Freizeitzentrum Kemnade GmbH broke ground on 21 May 1976, moving three million cubic metres of earth in three years. The lake was inaugurated on 1 September 1979, and the leisure centre was handed over on 18 September 1980.
The reservoir brings together sailors, rowers and canoeists from across the Ruhr valley and serves as training grounds for water sports clubs. Along the shore families gather for barbecues and joggers use the flat paths for their daily routes.
The circular path around the water is about eight kilometers long and works well for walks or bike rides without steep climbs. Access to the water is possible at several points, and boat rental facilities are distributed along the shores.
The dam's Kaplan turbine, in operation since October 2011, produces up to 3.6 million kilowatt hours a year, enough for around 1,200 households. During the 20 months of construction the circular path over the weir was closed. Beside the weir on the south bank, a fish ladder and a boat chute let canoes and rowing boats pass the barrage.
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