The Potential of the Chambon Dam

Oisans, and in particular the Chambon plain, formerly known as the Dauphin plain, had colossal hydroelectric potential. In 1918, the great industrialist Henri Frédet discovered the Chambon site and understood its potential: the glacial threshold of Chambon meant that the broad Dauphin plain ended in a bottleneck only 75 meters wide. It was the ideal place to build a dam, which would supply electricity to the factories of Bas-Oisans while regulating the flow of the Romanche. Between 1919 and 1924, numerous studies were carried out, confirming the site’s potential. During these studies, certain problems linked to the location were deliberately left unmentioned in order to avoid the project being rejected by the Commission des Grands Barrages. This would later lead to an increase in the total cost and duration of the works.