About Poehl Dam

The Talsperre Pöhl in the Vogtland district of Saxony holds 64.6 million cubic metres and is the second largest reservoir managed by the Landes-talsperrenverwaltung des Freistaates Sachsen. Completed in 1964, the 66-metre concrete-faced rockfill dam impounds the Trieb river in the rolling forested hills between Plauen and Zwickau. The reservoir was constructed during the GDR era to provide drinking water to the Vogtland textile manufacturing towns and to augment low-flow conditions in the Trieb and lower White Elster river. Today it supplies approximately 300,000 people across the Plauen urban area and adjacent rural districts. The Talsperre Pöhl has developed into a major recreation hub for the Vogtland region, with extensive sailing and windsurfing infrastructure, camping sites, and a beach area at Rümpf popular during summer months. The LTV operates a visitor information centre and guided tours of the dam structure during the summer season. Water quality monitoring regularly shows mesotrophic conditions with seasonal cyanobacterial blooms requiring management by aeration and phosphorus binding treatments. The catchment has experienced significant spruce forest dieback since 2018 due to the combination of drought stress and bark beetle infestation, raising concerns about sediment runoff and long-term water quality impacts.