Simulazione · Minimal Water · Dams and reservoirs
Edersee · Dam wall – water for the ships
A dam wall that holds water for the ships: the long Edersee with six villages on its shores, wells instead of lake water and a service reservoir high above the lake.
Trailer
Real are location, terrain and buildings (OpenStreetMap, heights from SRTM and EU-DEM); the dam wall stands for the depiction. The pipe network, sizes, demand and operation are invented and simplified. It is not an operations control and not a planning tool. With your data, the model shows your site and your processes.
The Edersee is water for the ships: in summer it releases water so that ships can still sail on the Weser; in drought years it becomes almost empty, in September 2022 only 14 per cent were left, and sunken villages and bridges reappear. In the model the villages on its shores do not drink lake water: wells draw groundwater from the valley and the rock of the slopes, the pumping station lifts it into the service reservoir above the lake, at 325 metres, and from there it flows down to Hemfurth, Affoldern, Scheid, Nieder-Werbe, Buhlen and Bringhausen.
Three controls move the whole landscape: rain, heat and consumption, plus the weather situations normal year, hot summer, drought and heavy rain. In a drought the long lake drops and runs dry from the shore, the forest all around burns; in heavy rain it fills, and below the wall the Eder rises. The wastewater runs through the sewer to the sewage plant and, cleaned, back into the river.
Real are location, terrain and buildings; the dam wall stands for the depiction. The pipe network, sizes, demand and operation are invented and simplified; quantities and processes are model assumptions. The page is for schools and universities, exhibitions, municipalities and water supply.
The path of water
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wells raise groundwater from the valley and the slopes
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the pumping station lifts it to the reservoir above the lake
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down to Hemfurth, Affoldern, Scheid, Nieder-Werbe, Buhlen and Bringhausen
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through the sewer to the treatment plant
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cleaned back into the river
01
Water shapes the land
Edersee · Dam wall: The Edersee releases water in summer so that boats can still navigate the Weser; the villages on its shores drink groundwater from wells in the valley.
02
The path of water
Glowing pipes – the path of the water as one continuous line, the waves run with the speed and direction of the flow.
What is shown – why – for whom
| Cosa viene mostrato | Perché | Per chi |
|---|---|---|
| Dam wall and long lake | PerchéShows how a reservoir releases water in summer and drops as it does. | Per chiteaching, exhibition |
| Edertal water abstraction with wells in the valley and on the slopes | PerchéShows that the villages drink groundwater and not lake water. | Per chiteaching, water supply |
| Edertal service reservoir at about 325 m | PerchéShows how the water flows down from the height into the villages. | Per chiteaching, municipalities |
| Hemfurth below the dam wall and Affoldern at the compensation basin | PerchéShows villages below the lake, where the Eder rises in heavy rain. | Per chimunicipalities, civil protection |
| Nieder-Werbe, Buhlen, Scheid and Bringhausen | PerchéShows villages on the shores: on the north shore, east of the wall, on a peninsula and high on the south shore. | Per chiteaching, exhibition |
| Sewer and sewage plant | PerchéShows where the wastewater goes and when the plant overflows in a storm. | Per chimunicipalities, civil protection |
| Three controls and four weather situations | PerchéShows connections in the model, not a statement about reality. | Per chiteaching, education |
03
The city from within
Wastewater – From the house through the sewer to the plant.
04
When things get tight
Forest fire – in drought and great heat a glowing front eats through the forest, rain puts it out.
Films from the model
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Above Edersee · Dam wall
A flight across the area: low angles with sky, the long lake behind the wall, in summer its level sinks, then over the town to the long shot – with the sound of the landscape.
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The path of water
From the source via the works and the storage into the town, through the sewer and back into the river: station by station, the pipes glowing.
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The city opens up
Beneath the streets: first the pipes, then the open cross-section, wastewater, rainwater in heavy rain, greywater – and everything together.
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A water year
A normal year, then heat and drought: fields wither, river and lake sink, the forest burns – then heavy rain, thunderstorm and flood. The landscape answers in real time.
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Pipe burst and flood
First a main bursts: the spot pulses red, a crew drives out, the storage carries the town. Then heavy rain: the water rises by elevation into floodplain and districts.
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Using the software
With the full interface: tap weather situations, pull levers, look at stations on the wheel and consequences – every effect shows at once on the map.
Facilities and landscape in the model
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Edertal water supply
The villages on the Edersee do not drink lake water: wells draw groundwater from the valley and the rock of the slopes.
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Edertal reservoir
Storage on the heights above the lake (about 325 m). From here water flows down to the villages on the shores and below the dam wall.
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Dam wall and reservoir
The reservoir stores water. In dry times it releases water so the river does not run dry.
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Affoldern
Down in the Eder valley, at the compensation basin.
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Hemfurth
The village right below the dam wall – hit by the flood wave in May 1943.
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Nieder-Werbe
On the north shore, where the Werbe flows into the lake.
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Buhlen
Village east of the dam wall.
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Scheid
On a peninsula in the lake.
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Bringhausen
On the south shore, high above the water.
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Treatment plant
The treatment plant cleans the waste water and returns it to the river. In a storm it overflows.
05
Thunderstorm
Thunderstorm – lightning in view, the cloud lights up from within around the strike, the cover tears open along the line of sight.
06
Flood by contour lines
Flood by contour lines – the floodplain and low-lying districts fill up bit by bit, with a dirty rim of foam.
Processes in the model
The path of water
- 01wells raise groundwater from the valley and the slopes
- 02the pumping station lifts it to the reservoir above the lake
- 03down to Hemfurth, Affoldern, Scheid, Nieder-Werbe, Buhlen and Bringhausen
- 04through the sewer to the treatment plant
- 05cleaned back into the river
Heat and drought
- 01no rain and great heat
- 02the soil dries out, the river narrows
- 03the fields wither first
- 04the forest dies and burns, rain puts it out
- 05the lake sinks and dries out from the shore
- 06water runs short in the town, the storage empties
- 07rain brings soil, river and harvest back quickly; dead forest takes far longer
Heavy rain and flood
- 01the soil soaks up all it can
- 02what it cannot hold rushes into streams and the river
- 03the floodplain and low-lying districts fill by contour line
- 04sewers and treatment plant reach their limit
- 05after the rain the water falls again
Pipe burst
- 01a pipe bursts, water escapes
- 02a crew drives out from the depot
- 03the section is shut off
- 04the storage carries the town
- 05after the repair the pipe goes back into service
What the model can be used for
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Water for shipping
A lake that releases water in summer so that ships can still sail on the Weser: the model shows what that means for the water level and for the shores.
Per chischools, universities, exhibitions
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Drinking water without lake water
The villages by the lake drink groundwater from wells, not the water of the lake. You see wells, pumping station, service reservoir and the villages below one after the other.
Per chiwater supply, universities, training
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Playing through a drought
The lake drops and runs dry from the shore, the forest burns. The message lake almost empty shows when the storage no longer carries.
Per chicivil protection, municipalities, education
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Museum and exhibition
A long lake behind a wall, villages on its shores: the model shows water level and landscape in one picture, also at low water.
Per chimuseums, exhibitions, visitor centres
07
The course
The course – the long lake behind the wall, in summer its level sinks; waves and foam move with the current in real time.
08
The whole software
Hot summer with one tap – the levers visibly move there, the camera follows the effect, below a sentence explains what is happening.
What you can change
Controls
- Rain: From drought to storm: rain fills soil, groundwater and river; little rain lets everything dry out, a lot of it lets it overflow.
- Heat: Up to four degrees more: more evaporates from lakes, fields and trees, and everyone needs more water.
- Consumption: From frugal to wasteful: wasteful speeds up the shortage, frugal delays it.
- Weather situations: Normal year, Hot summer, Drought, Heavy rain: One tap sets all three levers, they visibly move there, and the view goes to where the effect shows.
Disruptions
- Water shortage: Water is running short in town: the first homes are without water – people are moving away.
- Failed harvest: The fields are withering – the harvest fails, food becomes scarce and expensive.
- Fish die-off: The river is shallow and warm, oxygen is running out – the fish are dying.
- Flood: Flood! The river bursts its banks, the sewers overflow – untreated water flows into the river.
- Health: Without enough clean water, health suffers: heat, poor hygiene, disease. Ambulances are on their way.
- Forest fire: The dry forest is burning. Fire crews are on their way – but without water there is nothing to fight it with.
- Tree dieback: The trees are dying. It takes decades for a forest to grow back.
- Lake almost empty: The reservoir is almost empty. It supported the river – now the water for dry times is missing.
- Pipe burst: Pipe bursts hit lines, never a single building; the storage carries the town until the crew has repaired the section.
- The extreme: Everything is parched: no water, no harvest, no trees, no animals. Life is no longer possible here.
What the model brings
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01
The real lake as a stage
Lake, wall and villages stand on terrain from OpenStreetMap and elevation data. You show the Edersee as it lies, not as a diagram.
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02
From the well to the shore, step by step
Wells, pumping station, service reservoir and villages can be shown one by one. You understand the path before you change anything.
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03
Situations without damage
Drought, heavy rain, pipe burst: you see where it gets tight first, and set it back. A pipe burst hits a pipe, never a single building.
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In the browser, with one tap
The model runs in the browser. One tap sets rain, heat and consumption together to a weather situation.
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Edersee · Dam wall: The Edersee releases water in summer so that boats can still navigate the Weser; the villages on its shores drink groundwater from wells in the valley. -
Edersee · Dam wall in the evening – low sun, long shadows, the water mirrors the sky. -
Morning at the Edersee – haze over the land, terrain and buildings come from elevation data and OpenStreetMap. -
The course – the long lake behind the wall, in summer its level sinks; waves and foam move with the current in real time. -
Far across the land – forest, fields and settlements hang on the same water. -
The lake as storage – it holds water for dry times; in the model its level sinks when the rain stays away. -
The lake backs up behind the wall – in the valley below runs only what the dam releases. -
Affoldern from outside – every house a block, warm in the evening light. -
Dusk at the Edersee – the houses grow darker, the last glow lies over the land. -
Forest – deciduous trees with trunk and crown, conifers in stands; here the cycle begins with the rain that stays in the soil. -
Fields and meadows – the rows grow with the harvest and wither in the drought; the soil is a sponge. -
Edersee · Dam wall from above at an angle – the whole area as a model of blocks, with the network at its centre. -
The source – wells raise groundwater; when it sinks, less reaches the works. -
Edertal water supply – The villages on the Edersee do not drink lake water: wells draw groundwater from the valley and the rock of the slopes. -
Edertal reservoir – Storage on the heights above the lake (about 325 m). From here water flows down to the villages on the shores and below the dam wall. -
Glowing pipes – the path of the water as one continuous line, the waves run with the speed and direction of the flow. -
Affoldern – Down in the Eder valley, at the compensation basin. -
Hemfurth – The village right below the dam wall – hit by the flood wave in May 1943. -
The treatment plant cleans the waste water and returns it to the river. In a storm it overflows. -
Back in the river – what has been cleaned flows back in; downstream the cycle starts again. -
The city from within – pipes and connections: width by flow, light runs from the reservoir to the houses. -
Cross-section – the ground opens up, pipes lie exposed beneath the streets. -
Wastewater – From the house through the sewer to the plant. -
Rainwater – sealed surfaces drain off: what does not soak away runs over streets and through sewers. -
All at a glance – drinking water and sewer together: what flows into the houses runs out again below. -
The sewer ends at the treatment plant – in a normal year it cleans everything, in a storm it overflows. -
Hot summer – little rain, more evaporation: the soil dries out, people need more, the town’s storage sinks. -
Drought – the fields wither first: green turns to straw, the rows wilt, the harvest fails. -
Low water – the river carries very little, grows narrow and warm; oxygen runs short and the fish die. -
Forest fire – in drought and great heat a glowing front eats through the forest, rain puts it out. -
Smoke over the land – the fires carry dark columns, lit from within, visible from afar. -
The lake sinks – it has supported the river, the bed dries out from the shore; now the water for dry times is missing. -
What remains – fields and town recover quickly, dead and burnt forest stays visible for a long time. -
Heavy rain – it grows dark, dense rain sweeps over the land, the soils soak up all they can. -
Thunderstorm – lightning in view, the cloud lights up from within around the strike, the cover tears open along the line of sight. -
Flood by contour lines – the floodplain and low-lying districts fill up bit by bit, with a dirty rim of foam. -
Pipe burst – the line pulses red, water escapes; a crew is called out. -
Shut off – a crew drives out, the section stands still, the storage carries the town until the repair is done. -
The districts by name – above the map stand the quarters, at the top water in the city, storage and the five consequences. -
Affoldern and the neighbouring districts – each name shows with a bar how well the district is supplied. -
Signs on the map – when a consequence turns critical, its sign stands where it happens: fields wither, forest dies, no water. -
Flood in figures – safety and harvest fall, the sign by the river stands over the spot that fills first. -
Treatment plant and inflow – on the sewer it says how much is arriving and whether it overflows. -
The whole software – at the top water in the city and five consequences, on the right the wheel of the cycle, below four weather situations and three levers. -
Hot summer with one tap – the levers visibly move there, the camera follows the effect, below a sentence explains what is happening. -
One lever, visible at once – consumption set to wasteful: the town needs more, the storage sinks, an arrow at the top shows the direction. -
The wheel explains – station River tapped: The river lives on groundwater and rain. In a drought it becomes narrow and warm. -
Tap a consequence – Nature: the bar at the top explains what water means for people and nature. -
Drought in the interface – the consequences turn red, signs stand on the map, the subtitle says what comes next. -
Heavy rain in the interface – soil and river on the wheel rise, the flood sign stands by the river, safety falls. -
Twelve water landscapes – confluences, dams and large lakes across Germany, each in its real place. -
The introduction – four cards say what it is about and how to use it.
Your area as a model
Would you like to show your area, your museum or your school like this? Write to us or call. We will send you the password for starting it on request.
cube4tec.de/spiele/minimal-water/
Chiedere informazioni
Minimal Water: Edersee · Sperrmauer – Wasser für die Schiffe
Basis and limits
Terrain and buildings: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), elevation: Mapzen/Tilezen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, EU-DEM). Facility locations follow OpenStreetMap and public utility information; pipe network, sizes, demand and operation are invented and simplified. Simplified educational model – not a real control system and not a planning tool.
Public sources the model is based on:
- Terrain and buildings: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)
- Elevation: Mapzen/Tilezen Terrain Tiles (SRTM, EU-DEM)
More areas in the model
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Siegburg · Wahnbach valley – a reservoir for drinking water only
A drinking-water dam as a model: intake below the dam wall, treatment on the Siegelsknippen, almost five kilometres of downpipe into the valley and groundwater from the Sieg floodplain, mixing in the service reservoir.
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Arnsberg-Neheim · Möhne lake – the dam keeps the Ruhr topped up
A large dam as a model: the long Möhne lake, the water abstraction in the Möhne bend and two service reservoirs one above the other that supply the lower and upper zones of Neheim with pressure.
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Rappbode Dam · Harz – a reservoir in a deep valley
The highest dam wall in Germany as a model: a drinking-water reservoir in the Harz, a works at Wienrode, long-distance pipelines to the lowlands and seven small villages in the narrow valleys of the Bode and Rappbode.
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Haltern am See – reservoir and waterworks
A reservoir in flat country as a model: water that seeps through sand and is filtered, a works at the lake with a deep tank, and a water tower on the slope that holds the pressure for the town.
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Witten · Ruhr valley – water from the river and its floodplain
A Ruhr valley as a model: waterworks, pumping station, Helenenberg service reservoir and Bommerholz water tower, plus floodplain, forest and sewage plant, and three controls that move the whole landscape.
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Koblenz · German Corner – where the Moselle flows into the Rhine
The confluence of Moselle and Rhine as a model: wells in the gravel of the Oberwerth, a service reservoir on the slope at Ehrenbreitstein and districts that fill up along the contour lines in a flood.
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Passau · Three Rivers – Danube, Inn and Ilz
Three rivers at a spit of land as a model: wells on the Danube island of Soldatenau, a service reservoir high on the Ries and an old town that is the first to go under in a flood.
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Wuppertal – pressure zones stacked in a narrow valley
A town in the narrow Wupper valley as a model: more than a hundred metres of height difference, two service reservoirs for two pressure zones and imported water that arrives at the top on the Nordhöhe.
Real are location, terrain and buildings (OpenStreetMap, heights from SRTM and EU-DEM); the dam wall stands for the depiction. The pipe network, sizes, demand and operation are invented and simplified. It is not an operations control and not a planning tool. With your data, the model shows your sit…