The water level of an Italian reservoir has dropped by 13.5 meters in two weeks due to a leak in a dam. The leak is 80 meters below the usual water level, so the entire lake must be drained to repair the damage.
For two weeks, large amounts of water have been flowing from the Zoggler Lake, which is located in the Ultental in northern Italy. The water no longer flows only through the usual drainage channel through the dam, but also through tunnels that are normally used by employees to reach the drainage channel.
Before technicians can reach the damage, the tunnels must be free of water again. That is why the manager of the reservoir is now completely draining the lake. Every second, 15,000 liters of water flow out of the lake, causing the water level to drop by 1.5 meters per day. At that rate, it will take about three more weeks for the reservoir to be empty.
The manager emphasizes that the emptying of the lake is done in a controlled manner and that the situation is constantly monitored. In addition, the construction of the dam itself has not been affected. There is therefore no danger to residents in the river’s catchment area.
An empty reservoir looks desolate and can also not generate electricity. In addition, it is detrimental to tourism in the Ultental. The valley lies deep in the Alps and is therefore popular with hikers and mountaineers. But the mayor is not worried about that. “I prefer an empty reservoir that looks like a desert to a lake full of water that poses a danger to us,” he told RaiNews Südtirol.