The floods of the Rhine

In travelogues from past centuries, the Hinterrhein is often described as a life-threatening monster. However, the Hinterrhein has long since lost its terrifying power. The wild roar has given way to a tame ripple. Today, all but a small amount of the water is channelled through a tunnel deep inside the mountain past the Viamala Gorge to the turbines of the Hinterrhein power plant in Sils.

When it flexes its muscles

Only rarely does the Hinterrhein show itself in its original mightiness. For example, in October 2013, when the flood level reached the lowest step of the tunnel staircase. While the usual residual water volume today is between 0.9 and 2.8 m3 per second, a discharge volume of up to 280 m3 per second was measured at that time. Before the power plants were built, between 40 and 70 m3 of water per second flowed through the gorge in summer. Note: 1 m3 of water corresponds to the contents of 667 1.5-litre PET drinking bottles.

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