Lac de Serre-Ponçon
The Lac de Serre-Ponçon (French pronunciation: [lak də sɛʁ pɔ̃sɔ̃]; Vivaro-Alpine: Lac de Sèrra Ponçon), known in English as the Lake of Serre-Ponçon, is a reservoir on the border between the Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence departments, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, Southeastern France, one of the largest in Western Europe. The lake gathers the waters of the Durance and the Ubaye rivers, flowing down through the Hautes-Alpes and the Alpes du Sud to the Rhône. The waters are dammed by the Barrage de Serre-Ponçon, a 123-metre (404 ft) high earth core dam.
| Lac de Serre-Ponçon | |
|---|---|
| Lac de Sèrra Ponçon (Vivaro-Alpine) | |
Lac de Serre-Ponçon Lac de Serre-Ponçon Lac de Serre-Ponçon Lac de Serre-Ponçon | |
| Location | Hautes-Alpes and Alpes-de-Haute-Provence |
| Coordinates | 44°31′N 6°21′E |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Durance, Ubaye |
| Primary outflows | Durance |
| Catchment area | 3,600 km2 (1,400 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | France |
| Built | 1955 |
| Max. length | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Max. width | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
| Surface area | 28 km2 (11 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 90 m (300 ft) |
| Water volume | 1.272 km3 (1,031,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Residence time | 0.5 year |
| Surface elevation | Max. 780 m (2,560 ft) |
As well as water control, sixteen hydroelectric plants use the water, with additional water control supporting; the lake provides irrigation to 1,500 square kilometres (580 sq mi) of land.