About Schlegeis Dam

The Schlegeis Reservoir sits at 1,782 metres above sea level in the Zillertal Alps of Tyrol, cradled between peaks exceeding 3,000 metres. The double-arch dam completed in 1971 rises 131 metres and stores 126 million cubic metres of glacial and snowmelt water from the Zamser Bach and surrounding cirques. Operated by Verbund Hydro Power, Schlegeis is part of an integrated system that includes underground penstock tunnels and powerhouses in the valley below. The reservoir's turquoise colour — a result of fine glacial silt called rock flour — makes it one of the most photographed alpine lakes in Austria. A panoramic road along the southern shore provides access to hiking trails leading to the Hochfeiler and Olperer glacier regions. Climate change is slowly reducing the glacial contribution to the reservoir's annual inflow, making efficient seasonal storage increasingly important. The dam was designed to withstand the dynamic loads of avalanche pressure and ice formation during the long Tyrolean winter.