Lac de Pannecière, Water reservoir in Morvan region, France
Lac de Pannecière is an artificial lake in the Morvan region created by a large dam wall. The water body fills a wide valley and is fed by the Yonne River.
The reservoir was declared of public utility by decree on 8 September 1929, after the Seine floods including that of 1910. Work began on 29 September 1937, stopped on 2 September 1939, resumed in May 1946 and was completed in December 1949, with up to 550 workers on site.
The lake takes its name from the hamlet of Pannecière, just below the dam. When the reservoir is drawn down, the bed of the Yonne and the Houssière reappears with the old stone bridges that crossed them and the paths of the hamlets of Pelus and Blaisy. The annual partial emptying and the full decennial emptying are when these traces can be seen.
Paths and viewpoints surround the lake, offering views of the water and dam structure. You can walk along the banks or reach higher vantage points to see the entire installation.
The dam features an uncommon multi-arch design with buttresses rather than a simple solid wall, a distinctive engineering choice. This particular structure makes it different from most modern reservoir dams.
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