Międzygórze Dam

For most of the year there is no lake behind this dam, just a meadow and a stream. The stone wall in the lower part of Międzygórze closes a dry flood-control reservoir that fills only during major floods. When it does, it is quite a sight – in September 2024 water was pouring over the crest.

History

The trigger was the Oder flood of 1897, after which a programme of reservoirs across the river basin was drawn up. Permission for a dam on the Wilczka was granted in 1901, and construction began in 1905, after another flood. The dam was completed on 1 April 1909, and in 1920 a keeper's house was built beside it. In the 1950s there were plans to turn it into a permanent reservoir for power generation, but the small capacity and mountain catchment led to them being dropped.

The reservoir has taken flood waves many times. In 1997 it filled completely and water spilled over the surface spillway. In September 2024 the water reached a record of more than 2,740 cm, 80 cm above the spillway.

What to see

• The dam wall – stone laid in cement mortar, curved in an arc with a radius of 250 m. It is 110 m long at the crest and 29 m high from the stream bed.
• The crest – a walkway protected by a parapet and railing, with a metal footbridge over the surface spillway, which is more than 45 metres long.
• The view down the valley from the crest over the stilling basins and the Wilczka bed.
• The dry reservoir with a capacity of 830,000 m³, draining a 25 km² catchment.

Tripto tip

The dam stands by the road into central Międzygórze, about 800 metres from the Wilczka waterfall, within the Śnieżnik Landscape Park. The simplest plan is to combine both in one walk. Crossing the crest and looking at the dam from below takes about half an hour. After heavy rain it is worth coming to see the reservoir at work, but follow any access restrictions.