The Sorpetalsperre, like Lake Biggesee, Lake Möhnesee, and the Versetalsperre, is a reservoir located in the eastern Hochsauerland region, in the northern part of the Homert Nature Park in North Rhine-Westfalen (Germany), and is one of the largest reservoirs managed by the Ruhrverband.
As one of eight dams in the Sauerland, it is also the deepest and boasts excellent water quality. Lake Sorpesee is nestled in the idyllic landscape of the Sauerland between the villages of Langscheid and Amecke and is considered by many locals and visitors to be the most beautiful lake in the region.
Built between 1926 and 1935, the Sorpetalsperre was considered the largest construction site in Europe at the time. For the first time, an earthen dam with a 69-meter-high concrete core wall was built for the dam structure, making it the tallest dam in Germany at the time. In November 1934, the gates were closed to complete the impoundment, and the Sorpetalsperre was officially put into service. Increased water demand and repeated periods of drought prompted this project, and since then, Lake Sorpesee—with a storage capacity of 70 million m³—has served not only to provide electricity and water to the Sauerland and the Ruhrgebiet but also, and especially, as a recreational area for locals and visitors alike.
During the dam’s construction, approximately 9 km of perimeter roads had to be built to replace the flooded roads. Since the Sorpetal was sparsely populated, only a few people and farms had to be relocated.
From 1957 to 1960, a diversion system was built. This channeled water from the Sorpe’s eastern neighboring valleys into the dam. This increased the dam’s capacity and accelerated its refilling. When the Sorpetalsperre was completely drained in 1959 to repair war damage, this led to significant restrictions in the water supply. That same year, one of the greatest droughts of the century struck the Sauerland region. After it was refilled in 1961, the reservoir was once again fully available for water management. In 1963, the maximum water level was raised by 60 cm, thereby increasing the reservoir’s capacity to 70 million cubic meters.
Today, Lake Sorpesee is just as popular as a local recreation spot for residents and visitors from the Ruhrgebiet and the Netherlands as it is for vacations taken by guests from all over Europe. Its special appeal lies not only in the wide range of recreational and sports activities—such as swimming, rowing, sailing, surfing, beach volleyball, fishing, and hiking, it is above all the promenade in Langscheid—redesigned in 2009—and the “Airlebnisweg” loop trail in Amecke, which opened in 2015.
The passenger boat “MS Sorpesee” is available for sightseeing cruises during the tourist season, from Good Friday through the end of October. To ensure the safety of swimmers, there are four DLRG stations at the adjacent campgrounds: at the outer basin (DLRG Amecke branch), Campground 3 (DLRG Arnsberg branch), Campground 2 (DLRG Sundern branch), and at the beach (DLRG Langscheid branch); as well as a German Red Cross (DRK) station at Campground 3.
Visit us at Sorpesee and enjoy relaxing hours in the incomparably beautiful natural surroundings. We look forward to seeing you!
Key facts about Sorpesee:
Length 8.5 km
Storage capacity 70 million m³
of which the forebay accounts for 1.5 million m³
Maximum water level above sea level 283.03
m Catchment area: Sorpe 52.7 km²
Beileistungen 47.6 km²
Total 100,3
km²Structure
DataConstruction period 1926–1935
Maximum height above valley floor 60 m
Maximum height above foundation level 69 m
Height of dam crest 285 m above sea level
Dam volume approximately 3.25 million m³
Crest length 700 m
Maximum toe width 307 m
Crest width 10 m
Power plant capacity 7.44 MW
Water surface area at full capacity 3.30 km²
Storage capacity of the balancing pond 0.374 million m³
Storage capacity of the balancing reservoir above sea level 224.43
m. For more information about Sorpesee, please contact the Ruhrverband at http://www.ruhrverband.de/. Anyone interested in a dam tour can find all the relevant information on the website under “Sorpetalsperre.”
The contact person for tours is Jutta Schulze; phone: 02924 9704-33.