Barrage de Lavalette, Hydraulic dam in Lapte and Saint-Jeures, France.
The Lavalette Dam measures 60 meters in height and 505 meters in length, with a thickness ranging from 4 meters at the top to 45 meters at the base.
Opened in 1914 to replace the Gouffre d'Enfer and Pas de Riot dams, its initial capacity of 5.5 million cubic meters increased to 40 million after 1949.
The dam supplies drinking water to Saint-Étienne through the Chapelette dam and generates electricity at the Versilhac hydroelectric plant.
Four sector gates installed on the dam regulate floods, following significant flooding events that occurred in September 1980.
In 1974, the dam was inspected by a SP350 submarine designed by Jacques Cousteau, allowing examination of the structure without emptying 40 million cubic meters of water.
Location: Haute-Loire
Address: 9 La Chazotte, 43200 Lapte, France
Opening Hours: Thursday 00:00-00:00
GPS coordinates: 45.14995,4.21177
Latest update: June 30, 2025 15:47
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes area has lakes from very different beginnings. Large lakes that formed from glaciers, like Lake Bourget or Lake Annecy, appeared after the glaciers in the Alps melted. They have deep water surrounded by mountains. In the Massif Central, volcanic lakes sit in old craters, such as Lake Pavin, which is nearly 7,000 years old, and Lake Issarlès, which goes down more than 100 meters deep. Some lakes are high up in the mountains, like Lake Guéry at 1250 meters, while others are in flat land or in deep valleys. There are also several artificial lakes built in the 20th century to make electricity or manage water flow. Lake Monteynard was created in 1962 on the Drac river, and Lake Saint-Étienne-Cantalès, held back by a dam on the Cère river since 1945, are popular spots for swimming, sailing, and fishing. Each lake feels different: clear and cold mountain waters, wooded shores in Jura, changing colors in volcanic craters. Visitors can walk around these places, go by boat, or just enjoy the views from the banks.
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Chapelle Notre-Dame de Montfaucon-en-Velay
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