Kleiner Okerteich

The Kleiner Okerteich is a reservoir on the eastern edge of Altenau, a district of Clausthal-Zellerfeld, in the valley of the Kleine Oker. Its dam, rebuilt in 1804 after a breach in 1765, holds a pond up to 8 metres deep. Fed by the Kleine Oker and, from 1740, by a ditch carrying water from the Altenauer Glück and Silberlilie mines, it is part of the Upper Harz Water Regale.

Around 1700, when mining resumed, Oberbergmeister Singer chose the valley of the Kleine Oker for a pond because the main river carried stones that could damage a dam. The Bergamt in Clausthal assigned the construction to Haustörrfer and Ahrend. After a dam breach in 1765, the dam was rebuilt in 1804. Since 1923 the pond has served as a forest swimming pool.

The pond takes its name from the Kleine Oker, the stream that feeds it. Since 1998 the Altenauer Lichterfest has been held here on the first Saturday in August, when more than 1,000 candles illuminate the water. The local Buchfinkenverein holds its annual Buchfinkenmanöver at the pond.

The site is free to visit and has small changing rooms, toilets, and a snack stand offering drinks and light snacks. Keep in mind there is no supervised swimming area, you swim at your own risk, and the changing rooms are only open during favorable weather.

The Lichterfest has been held on the first Saturday of August since 1998, when over 1,000 candles are placed around the Kleiner Okerteich. Unlike most Upper Harz ponds, the pond is not managed by the Harzwasserwerke, but by the Altenauer Kurbetriebsgesellschaft since 2019.