Tourism

Reservoirs created by dams constitute an undeniable landscape attraction and promote tourist activity around and on the reservoir. These lakes can indeed enable the development of fishing, boating, swimming and all water sports activities. This thus brings certain development and economic benefits to the region, whether from the activities themselves, hotel or camping accommodation or trade in general.

Some large reservoirs have operating guidelines that make it possible to maintain a stabilised lake level during periods of high tourist activity. Sometimes a secondary dam built within the reservoir creates an area with an almost constant level. For example, the Naussac reservoir of more than 1,000 hectares is divided by the Mas d’Armand dam which isolates a small reservoir of only 12 hectares.

Furthermore, a very large number of dams have been built in recent decades in order to create water reserves intended for the production of artificial snow; the aim, through snowmaking, is to limit the drawbacks of inter-annual fluctuations in natural snowfall, to guarantee the opening and closing dates of ski resorts, and to ensure good skiing conditions on the slopes. High-altitude dams thus make it possible to use a water reserve during the winter low-flow period.