The creation of Serre-Ponçon Lake in 1959 led to the disappearance of almost 7,000 acres (2,833 ha) of land, some cultivable, 417 buildings, and two factories. This event had a profound impact on the economic life of the local population and caused unprecedented trauma. Following the construction of the dam and the displacement of 1,100 people, the local elected officials obtained, for the first time in France, a compensation for the moral damage caused by the uprooting of a population from its natural environment.