Following the Second World War, France was in full reconstruction. There wasn't enough coal or hydroelectric power available to meet the country's needs.
Then a project arrived in the office of the then mayor of Chamonix, Jules Devouassoud. The idea was to flood the Chamonix valley to make a seven mile long lake. The goal: to take advantage of one of the biggest reserves of water in France.
All that was needed was to build a dam across the entrance to the gorge of the river Arve. Then the glacial waters of the Arve and its tributaries would feed the reservoir, as well as all the water from the Italian glaciers of Mont Blanc.
Jules Devouassoud felt all his bones tremble as he saw all the costing described in detail for a total three billion francs project.
The population of Chamonix reacted immediately. The project proposed by Paris would flood all the villages below Chamonix, and even part of the town itself!
Official letters, petitions and demonstrations followed. The Chamonix valley was in anger, including some of the largest ski champions of the time who lived there. Their anger was successful, changing the mind of the Minister of Reconstruction and Town Planning at the time, Raoul Dautry.
The following year, the project was buried forever.
Source Le Dauphiné
