Rappbode Reservoir

Rappbode Reservoir is Germany's largest drinking water reservoir, located in the Harz mountains in central Germany. It has a maximum volume of 113 million cubic metres and a maximum area of 395.3 ha. Its mean and maximum depth are 28.6 m and 89 m respectively, and its residence time is 344 days. It receives water from a 274 km2 catchment, composed of the mainly forested Rappbode River catchment and the more agricultural Hassel River catchment. Rappbode Reservoir also periodically receives water from a bypass system from the neighbouring Koenigshuette Reservoir (abut 35-60% of annual inflows). The reservoir is dimictic and its trophic state is between oligorophic and mesotrophic with a background light extinction coefficient of about 0.4 m-1. It typically supports a bloom mainly of Asterionella formosa in spring, and a subsurface (10-13 m) development of Planktothrix rubescens in summer. The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) regularly monitors the reservoir, measuring important physical, chemical and biological variables at high frequency using in-situ sensors as well as by biweekly regular sampling. For detailed information about the monitoring of the reservoir, see Rinke et al (2013) Environ Earth Sci, 69:523–536, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2464-2. Further information is also available in German here: https://www.ufz.de/index.php?de=39919. Contact: Dr Karsten Rinke (karsten.rinke@ufz.de).