Upper Sûre Lake
- Luxembourgish: Stauséi Uewersauer
- French: Lac de la Haute-Sûre
- German: Obersauer-Stausee
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Staumauer_Esch_-_Sauer_-_panoramio.jpg/264px-Staumauer_Esch_-_Sauer_-_panoramio.jpg)
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
- ^ a b c d "Naturpark Öewersauer - Description". naturpark-sure.lu. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
- ^ a b c "Présentation & Historique - SEBES". SEBES (in French). Retrieved 30 May 2018.
- ^ a b "Vallée de la Haute-Sûre". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Vallée de la Haute-Sûre". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "Water quality in the EU". European Commission. URL accessed 4 June 2006.
External links
Media related to Lac de la Haute-Sûre (reservoir) at Wikimedia Commons
Lakes portal