Gileppe

The Gileppe is a river of Belgium.

Exit of the High Fagnes, whose source is in Fagne Gulpin near the Cross Mockel (surroundings of the Baraque Michel), Gileppe further throws in the Vesdre a score of kilometers, at the village of Goé.

This river is especially known for the lake to which it gives birth. The brook of the Louba also provides a significant share of the provisioning of the lake.

Stopping of Gileppe

The Lake of Gileppe, located in the oriental party of the forest of the Hertogenwald, is primarily fed by the river of the same name and the brook of Louba (or Raboru). The wall of the stopping of Gileppe, weight type, is oldest of Europe. The inauguration of the stopping took place the July 28th 1878 by the king Léopold II. The capacity of capacity of the lake of 12 million m ³, and was carried to more than 13 million m ³ after installations of the outfalls following the dryness of 1921. The surface was of 86 hectares.

The stopping was raised of 10 meters in the years 1967-1971, (beginning on March 1st) using from now on the technique of the stopping-pressure. Reserve at summer emptied in January 1969 and the town of Verviers fed out of water starting from the tank of Eupen. The capacity of reserve is of 26,5 million m ³, for a surface of 130 hectares. Like the stopping of Eupen, it is used for the food production of water. Its assignment first was the water supply of the wool industry of Verviers. The craftsmen indeed wished to profit from a water of better quality and especially from a regularity. The industry wool of Eupen, at the time Prussian and located upstream on Vesdre, used indeed in first of pure water of the river.

Two water intake towers a 75 meters height are located in the lake near the stopping. They allow a collecting of purer water, remotely of the banks and especially a collecting with different heights what makes it possible to have access to the best water of the moment.

The hydroelectric station recovers the energy of the water fall that there is between the point of collecting and the valley (42,9 m) with a medium flow of 76.300 m ² /jour (0,88 m ³ /s) is a hydraulic potential of (370 kw) the flow can vary from 0,80 to 1,00 m ³ /s. This power station is composed of two turbines of 430 CV (321 kw) feeding each one a three-phase alternator providing energy under a tension of 6.000 volts. The total annual production of the power station is of 3.300.000 kWh.

A 13,5 height monumental lion and weight meters of 130 tons decorates the stopping, fixing the Prussian, distant border of approximately 5 kilometers at the time of the construction of the stopping. It is the work of Felix Antoine Bouré, and is cut in elements of tender sandstone of the valley of the Sûre.

Hydrographic characteristics

In Gileppe the higher, hardly left zone fagnarde, the brook receives water of the Bouvy ditch to localities the “Biolettes. ” Dug time of the “quarrel of water” with Eupen, this drain makes it possible to collect water which should have supplied the basin of Vesdre higher.

the stopping also receives the water of the Soor (basin of the Helle, Vesdre higher) by the Tunnel of Soor , dug 1950 with 1953. This one thus makes it possible to add to the 34,3 km ² basin versan of Gileppe the 20,9 km ² of that of Soor. A small stopping of the revolved type, can thus deviate part of the course of the river to feed the lake by a tunnel dug under the peak separating the two basins. The tunnel itself is long approximately 2,5 kilometers for 2,30 meters in diameter, leading to the lake with the place known as Trou Malbrouck .

During the construction of the tunnel, on July 8th 1952, a brutal storm on the plate cost the life eight workmen, septs Italian and a Belgian, having decided to return towards the Soor by the tunnel itself. They perished absorbed, the flow having passed to 70 m ³ a second in the tunnel. A commemorative plaque appears near the exit downstream of the tunnel. To read: " Heightening of the stopping of Gileppe" by Joseph De Clercq and Guy Pirotton (1970) in the bimonthly review " Technique of Travaux" (seven. - Oct. 1970)

External bonds

Best off Verviers - Gileppe
History of the stopping of Gileppe
Sights satellite: wikimapia, Maps.Google

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