The Gampadel Power Plant; Upper and Lower Levels

Construction of the Gampadel Unterstufe was begun in 1921 and it started running in 1924.  Today, the Vorarlberg Power Plant Corporation uses the water from the Leder Spring and the Gampadel Brook, which is fed to the Bitschweil Reservoir through a tunnel.  From there the water is piped to the power station in the Gampadel lower level using a penstock and then used in three hydro electro generating sets.  The Bitschnau Reservoir can hold about 32,000 cubic meters of water.

The Gampadel Power Plant, Upper Level started running in 1989.  The water from the Gampadel Brook is held in the Fischkalter Reservoir at 1,560 meters above sea level and reaches the Upper Level of the power station by way of an underground pipeline.   The plant produces about 12 million kilowatt hours a year.  Once implemented with two hydro electro generating sets, the water is fed into the Bitschweil reservoir.  About 38 million kilowatt hours of electricity is produced annually in both power plants which is enough to supply about 7,000 households in Vorarlberg.  Because many of the slopes leading into the valley from the Oberstufe power plant are in great danger of sliding, three large valley barricades were erected in order to prevent mud flows.  Another six valley barricades are in the planning.

From the power plant, you can walk on the shady, easily walkable path through the Muehlewald, or Mill Forest.  After a while if you look down into the Gampadel Brook canyon, you can see how a grey band runs over the valley.  That is the Vorarlberg Ill Power Plant Corporation’s aqueduct.  It’s about another 20 minute walk from here to the Bitschweil Reservoir at 1,080 meters above sea level.