At low water in late summers of dry years the remnants of three villages (Asel, Bringhausen, and Berich) and a bridge across the original river bed submerged when the lake was filled in 1914 can be seen.

The dam was breached in World War II by bouncing bombs dropped by British Lancaster bombers of No.

By the time it diminished in the widening floodplains of the lower Eder, into the Fulda and into the Weser, a total of about 160 cubic meters per hectare had flowed, wreaking widespread destruction and claiming the lives of some 70 people.

[2]) The dam was rebuilt within months by forced labour drawn from construction of the Atlantic Wall under command of Organisation Todt.

Its capacity of 199,300,000 cubic metres (260,700,000 cu yd) makes it a major summertime recreational facility.