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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Freesia

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The Upper Sûre Lake (Luxembourgish: Stauséi Uewersauer, French: Lac de la Haute-Sûre, German: Obersauer-Stausee) is a large reservoir in north-western Luxembourg. It is the largest body of water in the country. It gives its name to the commune of Lac de la Haute-Sûre, which was formed in 1979.

History

It was created by the Esch-sur-Sûre Dam which was built in the 1950s to meet Luxembourg's drinking water and electricity needs. The town of Esch-sur-Sûre/Esch-Sauer nestles at one end of the lake. Immediately above it, the river has been dammed to form a hydroelectric reservoir extending some 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) up the valley. Its average surface area is 3.8 km2 (1.5 sq mi), or about 0.15% of Luxembourg's total area.

Protected area

The region around the reservoir forms the Upper Sûre Natural Park, a Luxembourgish national park. The valley of the Upper Sûre surrounding the reservoir has been designated as a Ramsar site, in Luxembourg and in neighboring Belgium, since 2004.[3][4]

Recreation

Surrounded by luxuriant vegetation and peaceful creeks, the lake is a center for water sports, such as sailing, canoeing, and kayaking. Such outdoor activities, which make it an attractive spot for tourists, has led to the growth of a local crafts industry. The lake has a very high level of water quality.[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Naturpark Öewersauer - Description". naturpark-sure.lu. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "Présentation & Historique - SEBES". SEBES (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Vallée de la Haute-Sûre". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Vallée de la Haute-Sûre". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  5. ^ "Water quality in the EU". European Commission. URL accessed 4 June 2006.

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