| Sihlsee | |
|---|---|
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  Sihlsee  Sihlsee  Sihlsee | |
 Map | |
| Location | Canton of Schwyz |
| Coordinates | 47°07′N8°47′E / 47.117°N 8.783°E /47.117; 8.783 |
| Type | reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Sihl,Minster |
| Primary outflows | Sihl |
| Basin countries | Switzerland |
| Max. length | 8.5 kilometres (5 mi) |
| Max. width | 2.5 kilometres (2 mi) |
| Surface area | 11.3 km2 (4.4 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 17 metres (56 ft) |
| Water volume | 96 million cubic metres (78,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Surface elevation | 889 metres (2,917 ft) |
| Settlements | Gross, Willerzell, Birchli, Euthal |
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TheSihlsee (in English sometimes calledLake Sihl) is anartificial lake in theSwisscanton of Schwyz, near thetown of Einsiedeln. The lake was created by damming the riverSihl and flooding a section of the upperSihl Valley.[1]
The lake feeds theEtzelwerk power station [de], which is located 5 kilometres (3 mi) to the north-east inAltendorf on the upper section ofLake Zürich (theObersee) and which supplies electricity to theSwiss Federal Railways (SBB). Its concretedam is 33 metres (108 ft) high and 124 metres (407 ft) m long. The lake is the largest artificial lake of Switzerland in terms of surface with a maximum length of 8.5 kilometres (5 mi) and maximum width of 2.5 kilometres (2 mi). The maximum depth is 17 metres (56 ft), and the lake has an approximate volume of 96,000,000 m3 (3.4×109 cu ft).[citation needed]
The power plant project started in 1932. A concrete dam and two viaducts over the lake were built before 1937 when the valley was flooded. As a result 107 farms disappeared completely and 1762 persons had to leave their homes.[2]
A failure of the dam could lead, according to studies, to an 8-metre (26 ft) high flood wave through the lowerSihl Valley reaching theAltstadt of the city ofZürich, the biggest city in Switzerland, within 2 hours. This threat has led the City of Zürich to develop, publish and test evacuation plans for the affected areas of the city, and especially the area aroundZürich Hauptbahnhof railway station.[3]
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