The dam in Niedzica (Czorsztyńska Dam)
Description
The dam in Niedzica (Czorsztyńska Dam) is a structure erected in the years 1975-1997 in the hamlet Zamek, belonging to the village of Niedzica. It is located in the Pieniny Mountains and dams up the waters of the Dunajec River, creating Lake Czorsztyńskie. The construction of the dam started in 1975 and was completed – after many fierce protests by environmentalists in the 1980s and 1990s – in 1997. It is the highest earth dam in Poland with a central aluminum seal. Its maximum height from the gallery sidewalk is 56 m, and 404 m in length. The crown of the building is 7 m wide and is open to pedestrians and service vehicles. The dam retains the waters of the Dunajec and acts as a flood prevention measure for the villages downstream. The construction of the dam also made it possible to supply drinking water to nearby towns, where there had previously been serious water shortages during the drought.
