Lake Of Sainte-Croix
The Lake of Sainte-Croix (French: Lac de Sainte-Croix, pronounced [lak də sɛ̃tkʁwa]) is a reservoir in Southern France that was formed by the construction, between 1971 and 1974 (when it was put into service), of a reinforced-concrete arch dam, the Sainte-Croix Dam . It marks the departmental border between Var to the southeast and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence to the northwest.
Geography
The reservoir is fed by the Verdon river, at the outlet of the Verdon Gorge. It holds a maximum of 761 million cubic metres of water. The dam, which generates 142 million kWh of electricity per year, is 94 metres high, 7.5 metres thick at its base and 3 metres thick at its crest.
The village of Les Salles-sur-Verdon stands by the lake; it was rebuilt on the shore after the original lower village was destroyed to make room for the reservoir. Other villages around the lake are Bauduen and Sainte-Croix-du-Verdon. The lake comprises a sole island, the Île de Costebelle (Island of Costebelle), part of the commune of Les Salles-sur-Verdon.
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The Lake of Sainte-Croix seen from the outlet of the Verdon Gorge
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Les Salles-sur-Verdon seen from the southeast
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Les Salles-sur-Verdon by the lake
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The Île de Costebelle
References
- ^ L’histoire de la vallée, www.stecroixduverdon-tourisme.fr (in French).
External links
- Media related to Lac de Sainte-Croix at Wikimedia Commons