Bostalsee
The Bostalsee is a reservoir in the municipality of Nohfelden in the northern Saarland. It was created in 1979. The dam has a length of 500 metres. The lake is almost exclusively used for recreation. The hydropower from the stored water has been used since the end of 2013 to a small extent to generate electricity, especially to light the circular walk around the lake in winter.[1] The southwestern part of the lake has been designated as a nature reserve.[2]
| Bostalsee | |
|---|---|
 The Bostalsee | |
  Location of Bostalsee in Saarland  Bostalsee (Germany) | |
| Location | Sankt Wendel |
| Coordinates | 49.56833°N 7.07194°E |
| Construction began | ca. 1973 |
| Opening date | ca. 1975 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Impounds | Bos, Dämelbach |
| Height (foundation) | 22.25 m |
| Height (thalweg) | ca. 20 m |
| Length | 500 m |
| Elevation at crest | 402.75 m |
| Width (crest) | 5 m |
| Dam volume | 320,000 m³ |
| Spillway capacity | 35 m³/s |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 8 million m3 |
| Catchment area | 12.2 km² |
| Surface area | 120 ha or 107 ha (long term) |
| Normal elevation | 401.00 m or 400.00 m (long term) |
Construction
This major tourist project was initiated in the early 1970s by the head of the county council of St. Wendel, Werner Zeyer, who later became the minister president of the Saarland. The long term aim was to strengthen the tourist infrastructure in the county of St. Wendel in order to raise the number of tourists. In addition, the new waterbody was intended to extend the local recreation facilities and improve the ecology.
Basic data
The lake has a surface area of 120 ha (1.2 km²), a volume of 8 million m³ and maximum depth of 18 metres. It lies at a height of about 400 m above sea level (NN) within the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park near 49°34′6″N 7°4′19″E. It is thus the largest artificial body of water used for recreation in southwest Germany. The lakeside villages are Bosen, Eckelhausen, Gonnesweiler and Neunkirchen/Nahe, and the Bostalsee Leisure Centre is run by the county. The dam impounds the waters of the Bos and the Dämelbach.
Gallery
Leo Kornbrust: Liebesthron on the circular walk
Stone sculpture on the circular walk Requiem für die Juden by Shlomo Selinger
Former solar-powered catamaran (meanwhile there is a smaller passenger boat on the Bostalsee)
Beach on the Bostalsee
Dusk at the Bostalsee, 2008
The Bostalsee seen from the north
Northwestern shore and sailing boat base
House in the holiday park
View of the lake
View of the nature reserve
See also
Literature
Annotations
- "Wasserkraft am Bostalsee". Archived from the original on 2015-07-17. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
- Regulation dated 1985/1996
External links
- Freizeitzentrum Bostalsee und Tourist-Information Sankt Wendeler Land
- Luftbild und Lageskizze, Segelclub Bosen
- Talsperre Bosen, Saarland
- Dokumentation von Zustand und Entwicklung der wichtigsten Seen Deutschlands der TU Cottbus, Teil 9: Nordrhein-Westfalen, Rheinland-Pfalz und Saarland (PDF-Datei; 562 kB)