Söse Dam
| Söse Dam | |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Location | Lower Saxony |
| Coordinates | 51°44′21″N 10°19′34″E / 51.73917°N 10.32611°E |
| Construction began | 1928 (Harzwasserwerke) |
| Opening date | 1931 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment dam |
| Height | 56 m (184 ft) |
| Length | 485 m (1,591 ft) |
| Width (crest) | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Dam volume | 1,900,000 m3 (67,000,000 cu ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 26,250,000 m3 (927,000,000 cu ft) |
| Catchment area | 49 km2 (19 sq mi) |
| Surface area | 124 ha (0 sq mi) |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 1.44 MW |
The Söse Dam is a dam in the Lower Saxon part of the Harz mountains near Osterode in the German state of Lower Saxony.
It was the first modern dam and reservoir complex (German: Talsperre) to be built in the Harz and was constructed by the Harzwasserwerke between 1928 and 1931. It is used for flood prevention, electricity generation, supplying drinking water and for raising water levels during times of low water. The construction of the dam cost 14.7 million Reichsmarks at the time. The Harzwasserwerke still operate the dam today. In 1933 construction began on a long-distance water pipe from the Söse reservoir, whose northern branch goes as far as Bremen. Today it mainly supplies towns and communities in the Hildesheim and Hanover areas. Since 1980 the town of Göttingen has also been supplied with drinking water from the reservoir.