The Gittaz Dam

Historic site and monument
Industrial site
Engineering structure
Dam/weir

Elevation : 1624m

La Gittaz, 73270 Arêches-Beaufort

Barrage de la Gittaz — ©Beaufortain Tourisme

Built between 1962 and 1967, the Gittaz Dam can store 13 million m3 of water, its arched-gravity structure with triangular base uses its own weight to withstand the force of the water.

The reservoir consists of 39.3 hectares of water; it is 65m deep and 164m long. The spillway in the form of a ski jump is one of the many innovations designed by André Coyne. The dam is fed by the Gittaz waterfall and the water collected by the Sallestet water cranes, which directly reaches Lake Roselend through a 2km pipe.