Barrage de Soulcem

The last dam in the valley to be impounded, it was built between 1980 and 1983 and commissioned in 1984.

Its construction and maintenance explain the presence of the road that continues beyond it to a car park for hikers, and then to serve the pastoral huts.

This reservoir drains a catchment area of almost 45 km2 and the volume of the dam exceeds 1.6 million m3.

The tulip, a concrete structure located on the lake to your right, is used to drain off the excess water. Downstream, this reservoir feeds the turbines that generate electricity and helps to keep the Garonne at low water during the summer.

France is now Europe's leading producer of hydroelectricity, generating 15% of its electricity in this way.