About Rappbode Dam

The Rappbodetalsperre in Saxony-Anhalt's Harz mountains is Germany's tallest dam at 106 metres and holds 113 million cubic metres — the largest reservoir in the Harz range. Completed in 1959, the concrete gravity dam impounds the Rappbode river and its tributary the Warme Bode in the central Harz. The reservoir is part of a linked system with the upstream Königshütter Talsperre and the downstream Wendefurth pumped-storage plant, providing both drinking water supply and peak-load electricity. The Rappbode supplies treated water to a population of approximately 1.2 million people in the Halle/Saale and Magdeburg regions, making it one of Germany's most important drinking water reservoirs. The catchment is protected by a strict buffer zone that restricts agricultural and forestry activity. Since 2017 the world's longest pedestrian suspension bridge, the 'Titan RT', has spanned the reservoir valley at the Rappbode dam, drawing around 300,000 visitors annually to experience the spectacular 120-metre drop beneath their feet. The Harz reservoir system is operated by the Talsperrenbetrieb Sachsen-Anhalt. Drought monitoring during the unprecedented dry years of 2018–2020 showed the Rappbode fell to near- record lows, prompting emergency water transfer protocols.