Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet, Artificial reservoir in Isère department, France
Lac de Monteynard-Avignonet is an artificial reservoir on the Drac in the Isère department, held back by a 145-metre-high dam. It runs about 10 kilometres in length, averages 300 metres in width and reaches a maximum depth of 115 metres, covering 6.60 km². Its opaque turquoise water lies at roughly 500 metres altitude, enclosed by the Drac and Ébron canyons, with pale grey rock cliffs rising straight from the right bank.
The reservoir came into being in 1961 following the construction of a 145-meter-high dam by Électricité de France. The facility was intended to provide hydropower for electricity generation in the region.
The recreation center at Treffort has become a gathering point for water sports enthusiasts who come to use the thermal winds. The lake also attracts hikers who walk across the two suspension bridges linking the mountain slopes.
The bay at Treffort provides water access and works well for windsurfing or kitesurfing during windy afternoons. The suspension bridges are open to walkers and link several hiking paths along the shores.
The Drac and Ebron footbridges, built in 2007, are modelled on traditional rope bridges of the Andes and Himalayas. They measure 220 and 180 metres and used 1,200 metres of cable, assembled with helicopters. The Drac bridge hangs 45 to 85 metres above the water depending on the lake level.
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