Roselend Dam, Buttress dam in Beaufort, France
Roselend Dam is a buttress dam in Beaufort, France, that spans 804 meters and rises 150 meters. The concrete structure sits at an elevation of 1575 meters in the Alps and holds back a large mountain lake.
Work began in 1955 and continued until 1962, with a thousand workers operating around the clock. Nearly a million cubic meters of concrete went into the mountain flanks to build the structure.
The chapel relocated before the valley flooded now stands near the shore. The former village and alpine pastures rest beneath the water where mountain farmers once lived and worked.
A path runs along the crest of the structure and offers views over the lake and surrounding peaks. Access is generally open, though the site can be less comfortable during thunderstorms or strong winds.
The reservoir holds around 187 million cubic meters and feeds a power station through a 13-kilometer tunnel. The drop to the turbine reaches about 1250 meters and delivers a powerful water pressure.
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