Geiseltalsee
| Geiseltalsee | |
|---|---|
| Location | Saalekreis district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany |
| Coordinates | 51°18′29″N 11°53′07″E / 51.3080°N 11.8854°E |
| Type | flooded former open pit lignite mine |
| Part of | Central German Lake District |
| Primary inflows | Saale |
| Built | June 30, 1993 - conversion from mine begun June 30, 2003 - flooding begun |
| First flooded | June 30, 2003 - begin of flooding April 29, 2011 - end of flooding |
| Max. length | 7.3 kilometres (4.5 mi) |
| Max. width | 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) |
| Surface area | 1,840 hectares (4,500 acres) |
| Average depth | 23 metres (75 ft) |
| Max. depth | 78 metres (256 ft) |
| Water volume | 423,000,000 cubic metres (1.49×1010 cu ft) |
Geiseltalsee, literally Geisel valley lake, is at about 1,840 hectares (4,500 acres) the largest artificial lake by area in Germany. Once flooding of the Cottbuser Ostsee is complete it will surpass Geiseltalsee in surface area, covering 19 square kilometres (7.3 sq mi). Geiseltalsee lies in the Saalekreis district of the state Saxony-Anhalt. The lake was created in 2003-11 by flooding a former opencast lignite mine in the Geiseltal (Geisel valley); the name of that valley had become widely known due to the notable fossil record which emerged from that coal mine.