Allow the glacier lake to drain without danger
The glacial lake on the Plaine Morte threatens the upper Simmental. To prevent further uncontrolled leakage, the municipality of Lenk is building a drainage system. Mobiliar is supporting the emergency measures with 130,000 Swiss francs.
At an altitude of 2700 m.a.s.l. is the Plaine Morte glacier - gradually forming a glacial lake. The plateau glacier is located in the Bernese Alps and borders the Canton of Valais immediately to the south.
Due to the melting of the glacier, surface meltwater can no longer drain into the Valais. This is how the glacial lake "Faverges" was formed. This can empty in a short time, with the water breaking out in the direction of Lenk. There, it leads to very high discharges in the Simme.
"As beautiful as the vast glacier landscape of the Plaine Morte is, the uncontrolled outlets of the glacier lake are just as dangerous," says Bernhard Bigler, general agent of the Spiez general agency. "At Lenk, we had to experience a few times how unpredictable this lake can be. Our company is ready to take responsibility and support the flood protection project with 130,000 Swiss francs."
Emergency measures underway
The project provides for a limitation of the maximum lake volume. The project is an emergency measure. Construction work is expected to be completed in early summer. The total cost is around two million Swiss francs.
With the measures, the valley floor can be better protected against flooding. "The Simmental lives strongly from tourism. Just think of the campsites and the numerous tourist facilities. Therefore, in the event of a large, uncontrolled outflow of the glacier lake, personal injuries would even have to be expected," explains Berhard Bigler.
Since July 2011, the Faverges lake of the Plaine Morte glacier erupted annually in summer. Flooding occurred in the Simmental. In the 2018 event, the lake ran out within 24 hours, causing damage amounting to 2.5 million Swiss francs.
Since the glacial lake will increase in size in the future, there is a threat of even greater outflows. Without appropriate preventive measures, major damage would have to be expected.
