A lake ol' Kinzigtal's dam? Still no signs of a new damming yet!
Just lately, a wee reservoir pops up in front of the recently mended Kinzig dam. Holger Scheffler, Managing Director of the Kinzig Water Association, elucidates, "We've got constant rainfall, sometimes heavy, in this neck of the woods. Plus, the bloke's meadows up there are drenched, full as old boots, which has boosted river runoff and you know what that means - water levels are on the rise in our dear dam."
But Scheffler wants to make one thing clear, "This recent water rise ain't connected to plans of new damming the Kinzig right after the renovations end." He assures, "This is the norm for flood protection in the Kinzig valley, something we've been screaming from the rooftops throughout the refurbishment work."
Turns out, the Darmstadt Regional Council, their watchdog, decides when exactly to kick off with the scheduled damming, setting Christmas as the target date.
Last autumn, the restoration work begun, inspecting, repaired, and renovated the concrete surfaces and joints of the dam built between 76 and 79. Water was drained, and fish relocated for the "in-depth safety inspection." The job concluded with the installation of the third and final new weir flap.
The purpose of this reservoir? To ease those pesky flood surges from the river and safeguard the Kinzig valley up to Hanau. It serves another role, too - ensuring there's enough H2O flowing beneath the darn structure during dry summer months.
All that wetness has increased surface runoffs and caused the dam's water level to rise, vital for the Kinzig valley's flood protection.
Sources:
Enrichment data not incorporated into the revised article.
