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Barrage de Rossens

Site Canton of Fribourg · District: Sarine · Uninhabited site (municipality of Gibloux)
Part of the municipality of Gibloux
Origin of the name Founding Historical timeline Must-see historical sites Remains Sources and references Nearby villages

Origin of the name Barrage de Rossens

The dam is named after Rossens, the neighbouring village. The reservoir it holds back on the Sarine, between Broc and Rossens, was named Lac de la Gruyère.[1]

Founding of Barrage de Rossens

The Entreprises électriques fribourgeoises built the dam on the Sarine, between Fribourg and Bulle, to store floods and regulate the river's flow for the power plants downstream, above all the Hauterive plant, which is fed directly from the lake. Engineer Henri Gicot directed the works. The choice of an arch was due to the ground, a fairly deformable molasse, and made it possible to limit the volume of concrete.[1][4][5]

History of Barrage de Rossens

1918. A dam on the Sarine is planned from 1918 (or from 1913). Politicians and engineers debate it for a long time.[1][2]

1943. On 24 December the Grand Council adopts, by a fairly large majority, the decree authorising construction. A petition signed by more than 500 inhabitants of the Basse-Gruyère had voiced the fear of losing ancestral land.[2]

1944. Work begins. More than 500 workers, engineers and managers are employed, among them many Italian and Spanish seasonal workers, housed in huts at the place called Maupraz. Forests are cleared to open access to the site.[1][2]

1944. On 23 November an exceptional flood raises the Sarine's flow from 75 to 570 m³/s in less than 24 hours.[4]

1945. The workers strike for better pay. The minimum wage rises by 50 centimes to 1 franc 50 an hour.[2]

1948. The lake is filled in spring, and the dam is inaugurated on 14 October. The works cost the lives of twelve workers, not counting those left disabled.[1][2][4][5]

1975. A first turbine set with a 710 kW Francis turbine goes into service at the foot of the dam.[3]

1991. Traces of seepage lead to the grouting, in 1991-1992, of the 21 horizontal joints at 671 and 674 m above sea level.[3]

2003. During the drought the arch deforms by 24 mm, against a multi-year average of 13 mm.[3]

2004. A second 1'700 kW set completes the residual-flow power station.[3]

2005. The dam passes to Groupe E, formed by the merger of the Entreprises électriques fribourgeoises and Electricité neuchâteloise.[3][6]

2022. On 8 September construction of the Passerelle du Barrage begins, at the approach to the dam on the Pont-la-Ville side.[7]

2026. In September divers inspect the foot of the dam on the lake side to prepare the replacement of the gates.[6]

2028. The two guard gates, installed in 1948 at 616 m above sea level, are to be replaced one after the other, in 2028 and 2029, so that flood control is maintained.[6]

Historic sites in Barrage de Rossens

Arch wall. The wall is 83 m high and 320 m long at the crest. Its thickness decreases from 28 m at the base to 14 m at mid-height and 5 m at the crest, for a volume of 250'000 m³. A road runs along the crest and links Rossens to the right bank of the Sarine.[2][3][6]

Lac de la Gruyère. The reservoir holds 200 million m³ (or 220 million) and covers at most 10 km², at 677 m above sea level. Its filling drowned 954 ha of forest, meadow and pasture.[1][2][3]

Outlet works. The spillway discharges 355 m³/s, the intermediate outlet 275 m³/s and the two bottom outlets 150 m³/s each. The outlet gallery, about 134 m long and 4 m in diameter, is lined with steel plates supplied from Vevey.[3][4]

Hauterive power plant. An underground concrete conduit carries the lake water to the Hauterive plant, with an installed capacity of 88 MW, which produces on average 280 million kWh a year. The dam supplies electricity to more than 46'000 households.[1][3][5]

Visit. The guided tour goes through the inner galleries and the gate chamber and shows a period film of the construction.[5]

Passerelle du Barrage. This 105 m pedestrian suspension bridge, initiated by Rotary Clubs and the Association du Sentier du lac de la Gruyère, spares hikers 500 m of narrow cantonal road and a tunnel between Pont-la-Ville and the dam.[7]

Remains in Barrage de Rossens

Pont-en-Ogoz. The lake drowned the hamlet of Pont-en-Ogoz. The remains of its castle now rise out of the water.[1]

Sources

  1. Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Gruyère, lac de la » (Christophe Aeby), version du 05.11.2004
  2. Manuel Greca, « Rossens : une commune de la Sarine en expansion ? », travail de maturité (avril 2011), d'après Robert Ayer, « Rossens et Illens à travers les âges » (2008), publié par la commune de Gibloux
  3. Comité suisse des barrages, swissdams.ch, fiche « Rossens »
  4. J. Trub, « Blindage de la galerie de vidange du barrage de Rossens », La Houille Blanche, mai-juin 1949
  5. Electrobroc (Groupe E), « Barrage de Rossens »
  6. La Télé (ATS), « Remplacement des vannes de garde du barrage de Rossens (FR) en vue », 11.09.2026
  7. Passerelle du Barrage, site du projet (2022)

Other villages near Barrage de Rossens

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