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Dams and dams have been built for a very long time. Their main purpose was to protect the settlement from floods and the ability to create water supplies for a period of drought.
Over time, dams began to serve to generate electricity. Modern structures look very powerful and large-scale; when looking at them, it becomes clear that they were built over a long time.
Further in the article, you can find a list of the 10 largest and most fascinating dams in the world.
10 Dam “Akosombo” (Ghana)
The hydroelectric power plant is located in the southeast of Ghana. The main purpose of the construction of this dam was to provide electricity to the city’s industrial plants. The reservoir was filled in the period from 1962 to 1966.
The idea of creating a hydroelectric power plant arose in 1915, but until the 1940s. there was no plan for its construction. The construction of the dam began in 1961, today it provides electricity to several countries in West Africa.
The dimensions of the Akosombo hydroelectric power plant are striking in their size, it has a height of 111 meters, a base width of 366 meters and a length of 660 meters.
9. Dam “Daniel-Johnson” (Canada)
The Daniel Johnson reservoir is one of the largest in the world. It was named after the Prime Minister of Canada, who owned the idea of its creation.
The water volume of the dam is 141,8 km3. Consists of several arches, supplies forces to the turbines at the base of the buttresses supporting the arches.
From an architectural point of view, the dam fits perfectly into the surrounding natural landscape without destroying its harmony. The dam was erected in 1959-1970s, has a height of 214 meters, a length of 1314 meters, and 2,2 million m3 of concrete was used for its construction.
8. Ataturk Dam (Turkey)
The Ataturk Barazhi hydroelectric power plant is located in Turkey, on the Euphrates River. The structure is capable of generating 8900 GWh of electricity per year, its height is 169 meters, and its length is 1820 meters. The construction of the dam began in 1983, and in 1990 it became operational.
Under the dam is the ancient Armenian city of Shamshat. In 2018, when the hydroelectric power station was drained, scientists discovered the oldest rock paintings depicting hunting scenes.
7. Fort Peck Dam (USA)
The dam is located on the Missouri River, in the state of Montana. Its construction lasted from 1933 to 1940. The height of the structure is 76 meters, length – 6409 meters. The water reserve of the Fort Peck reservoir is 23,1 km3.
6. Dam Bennett (Canada)
The dam is located on the Peace River in Canada. Named after the 25th Prime Minister William Bennett. The dam has been in operation since 1968. The flood of the river formed Lake Williston.
Today, the hydroelectric power plant provides electricity to British Columbia and part of the Vancouver area. During the creation of the reservoir, the valleys of two rivers were flooded, which was a real tragedy for people who had long lived in this territory, despite the payment of monetary compensation by the state.
5. Itaipu Dam (Brazil)
The dam is one of the two largest in the world in generating electricity, located on the Parana River, on the border of Brazil and Paraguay. The dam got its name from the name of the island, which is located at the mouth of the river.
Design work on the building began in 1971. By 1978, a channel 150 meters long was dug in natural rocks for the construction of a dam, the construction of a dam began in 1979, and the reservoir was filled in 1982.
Since 1984, the hydroelectric power station began to function. During the construction of the Itaipu Dam, a large amount of rock was destroyed, and the Guaira National Park was completely wiped off the face of the Earth.
Today, the dam is 7235 meters long, 400 meters wide and 196 meters high. The capacity of the hydroelectric power plant is approximately 85-98 billion kWh per year.
4. Hoover Dam (USA)
Hoover Dam is considered a unique hydraulic structure, located on the Colorado River, has a height of 221 meters. Not far from the dam is Las Vegas.
Named in honor of US President Herbert Hoover, who played a significant role in its creation. The project for the construction of the dam was drawn up in 1931, it began to function in 1936.
Today, the dam is not only a source of electricity generation, but also an architectural monument. It was built in the Art Deco style, decorated with turrets on which the clocks are located, some of them indicate the time of Arizona, and others of Nevada.
3. Vaiont Dam (Italy)
The arched concrete dam is located on the Vaiont River in northern Italy. The building was built in 1961, its height is 261,6 meters, length 190 meters, and width 23 meters.
In 1963, an accident occurred on this dam, which killed about 3000 people. A rock collapsed into the basin of the reservoir, a landslide caused water to overflow through the dam, this event turned into a disaster for several settlements.
2. Tarbela Dam (Pakistan)
The dam is located on the Indus River, 50 kilometers from the capital of Pakistan. The dam began to be built in 1968, and began to function since 1977.
Scientists have calculated that the dam will be used for about 50 years, since the main source of food for the Indus is water from the melting glaciers from the Himalayas, and they carry a large amount of sedimentation.
. This circumstance meant that for some time the reservoir would overflow, but today the sedimentation turned out to be much lower than originally expected, so the dam can be operated at least until 2060, that is, about 85 years.
1. Three Gorges Dam (China)
The hydroelectric power plant is located on the Yangtze River. Today it is considered the largest and most powerful dam in the world. The idea to create a dam in the Three Gorges region originated in 1932.
The dam was built for a very long time, only in 2016 the last element of the hydroelectric power plant was opened.
The structure has a length of 2309 meters, a height of 181 meters, it is built of concrete and steel. During its construction, 27,2 million m3 were spent. The hydroelectric power station is of great importance for China in the field of economy, and the dam also regulates the water regime of the river on which it is built, it reduces the number of destructive floods.