Talsperre Heyda, Water dam in Wipfratal, Germany

Talsperre Heyda is an earth dam in the Wipfratal valley in Germany, built on a sandstone foundation and holding back a sizeable reservoir. The dam sits among forested hills, and the water is surrounded by a network of paths connecting several access points around the shore.

Built from 1980 to 1988, the dam is a homogeneous earthfill structure of clay and silt on a Buntsandstein base, so it needs no special sealing; only a sheet pile wall and grout curtain tie it to the subsoil. It was commissioned in 1989 for irrigation, with low-water augmentation, industrial water supply, flood protection and fish farming as further uses. A 6 m high, 200 m long auxiliary dam stands beside the main dam.

The reservoir draws anglers from across the region, and the shoreline paths are regularly used by walkers and cyclists. The water and surrounding woods give the nearby villages a natural backdrop for everyday outdoor life.

A circular trail runs around the full perimeter of the reservoir, with several spots where the water and forest come into full view. The terrain stays mostly flat to gently rolling, so the route works well on foot or by bike at any time of year.

In spring 2013, thousands of silver carp died within a short time. Introduced during the GDR era to produce medical products, they could not reproduce in the cold water and died of old age at about 25 years. Laboratory tests ruled out viruses and bacteria, and no other fish species was affected.