Barrage de Verbois
Origin of the name Barrage de Verbois
The dam is named after Verbois, a locality of the municipality of Russin. The origin of the name Verbois has not yet been explained.[1]
Founding of Barrage de Verbois
The dam was born of Genève's growing demand for electricity. Its construction led to the closure of the Chèvres plant near Vernier, which was in decline and too costly to modernise. Built from 1937 to 1944, it spans the Rhône about 15 km downstream from Genève. Owned by the Services industriels de Genève (SIG), the power station was inaugurated on 2 June 1944 in the presence of General Guisan.[1][2]
History of Barrage de Verbois
1937-1944. Construction of the dam, intended to meet the growing demand for electricity.[1]
1939. Work begins in 1939 (or 1937), during the Second World War. It lasts five years and employs an average of 700 workers a day.[2]
1944. Inauguration of the power station on 2 June in the presence of General Guisan. With its three generating units it can produce about 400 GWh a year on average.[2]
1953. A fourth unit, included in the original plans, enters service.[2]
1996. Fire in machine 3: it takes 18 months for the first turbine to restart and two and a half years for all four units.[2]
1999. Construction of a fish ladder with 107 basins, then the largest in Switzerland.[2]
1999-2001. Creation of the Teppes de Verbois nature reserve, a little downstream of the dam.[1]
2019. SIG celebrates the dam's 75th anniversary. It produces an average of 466 GWh a year, about 15% of the canton's electricity consumption.[2]
2025. Partial lowering of the dam from 15 to 27 May, an operation carried out every 3 to 4 years under the supervision of the French and Swiss authorities to prevent the risk of flooding in some districts of Genève and to promote the sediment continuity of the Rhône.[3]
Historic sites in Barrage de Verbois
Dam and power station. SIG installation with four generating units. At the beginning of the 21st century its total capacity is 100 MW and its reservoir holds 13 million m³ of water. Each year one of the four units is fully overhauled.[1][2]
Fish ladder. Built in 1999, it has 107 basins.[2]
Teppes de Verbois nature reserve. Reserve created from 1999 to 2001, a little downstream of the dam.[1]
Sources
- Dictionnaire historique de la Suisse, « Verbois » (Jacques Barrelet), version du 17.08.2011
- Services industriels de Genève (SIG), communiqué « Le barrage de Verbois fête ses 75 ans », 19.09.2019
- CNR, SFMCP et SIG, communiqué « Gestion transfrontalière des sédiments du Haut-Rhône : l'opération d'abaissement partiel du barrage de Verbois », 13.05.2025
- geo.admin.ch, service de recherche de swisstopo (Verbois, coordonnées du barrage)
Other villages near Barrage de Verbois
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