Lac de Pareloup, Reservoir in Salles-Curan, France

Lac de Pareloup is an artificial reservoir on the Lévézou plateau in Aveyron, at 805 m altitude. Created in the 1950s by a 43.45 m high dam across the Vioulou, it covers about 1,290 hectares, with 130 km of indented shoreline forming peninsulas and two islands.

The dam was built between 1950 and 1952 as part of a hydroelectric project on the Lévézou plateau, meant to meet energy needs after the Second World War. Its completion transformed the landscape fundamentally, turning several valleys into a connected body of water.

The name comes from the Pareloup region, whose rolling landscape now lies beneath the water and remains visible only along the shores. Fishing spots dot the shoreline, where locals cast lines for pike and perch while sailboats glide between the coves.

The shore road winds around much of the lake and leads to several beaches with parking areas and basic restrooms. Weekends in July and August see the beaches fill up early, so a morning visit works best.

The Alrance is not a tributary but the site of a power station: water from Pareloup can be routed through a 10.9 km tunnel to the Alrance plant at the head of the Lac de Villefranche-de-Panat. The lake's catchment covers 376 km², and 3.5 hm³ is drawn off as drinking water for Rodez and the Ségala. The dam holds back 167 million m³ of usable water.