Über den Staudamm Zillergrundl

The Zillergründl Dam in the Zillertal Alps of Tyrol is one of Austria's highest arch dams, completed in 1987 at an altitude of approximately 1,550 metres. The double-curvature arch structure stands 186 metres tall and impounds 90 million cubic metres from the upper Ziller catchment. Owned and operated by Zillertal Strom (a Verbund subsidiary), the reservoir feeds an underground powerhouse system that generates peak-load electricity for the Austrian grid. Water from the neighbouring Zillergrund reservoir can be pumped uphill into Zillergründl, giving the system pump-storage capability. The surrounding landscape is dominated by the Hochzillertal ski area and popular summer hiking terrain. The dam's construction in the late 1980s required advanced alpine logistics: all concrete was mixed on site in a batching plant above the valley floor, and workers were transported by cable car during winter. The reservoir's name — using the diminutive 'l' — reflects local dialect and distinguishes it from the adjacent Zillergrund reservoir completed a year earlier in 1986.