the barrier is a straight gravity dam, which holds the water back by its sheer weight. it was built in several sections and finished in 1959. it is high and long. in recent years (before 2002) the crest of the dam was renewed. the roadway and the concrete had weathered and could no longer handle the weight of traffic. the lake behind the dam acts primarily as a reserve drinking water reservoir for the towns east of the harz. the pressure pipes go to aschersleben, halberstadt, bernburg (saale), halle (saale) and even leipzig. its water quality is particularly good; water hardness averages 3° on the german hardness scale. so the water is ideal for use for steam generation and washing. the reservoir also contributes to generation of hydro-electric power to a small extent.