Perlen weir to be refurbished

Ever since its foundation, Perlen Papier has been channelling water from the nearby River Reuss to produce its own ecofriendly hydro-electric power. In 2005, however, in response to a spell of high water, detonations were needed to prevent flooding of the Reuss river plain. The explosions substantially damaged the company’s weir on the Reuss and destroyed its fish ladder.

Advanced new weir planned

Perlen Papier presented its project to refurbish its weir on the River Reuss in spring 2017. Under the design, a new bypass channel should prevent the weir from becoming blocked with driftwood (with a resulting risk of flooding) at times of heavy rainfall.

On the ecological front, fish should now be prevented from swimming into the power station canal through a 60-metre grille across the canal’s river entrance. And new ladders will be installed at the weir to enable fish to make their way both up- and downstream. So the new Reuss weir will meet all the latest requirements in both safety and environmental terms.