About Lokka Dam

Lokka is one of the largest artificial reservoirs in Finland and the whole of the Nordic countries, created between 1965 and 1967 by flooding a vast area of Lapland wilderness for hydroelectric power on the Luiro river. The reservoir covers approximately 417 square kilometres when at full supply level and holds around 1,400 million cubic metres of water. The dam stands 11 metres in height and was built at a cost that included the forced relocation of Sámi reindeer herding communities who had lived in the flooded valleys for generations. The submerged landscape included rich wetlands, traditional grazing areas, and the village of Lokka itself. Lokka Reservoir is operated in concert with the neighbouring Porttipahta reservoir, with both feeding into the Kemijoki river system and ultimately the Kemijoki power stations. The reservoir's remote Lapland location makes it an important wilderness destination; it hosts nationally significant populations of whooper swans, osprey, and other wetland birds that have colonised the shallower margins of the flooded area over the decades.