Gabčíkovo Dam is a major dam and hydroelectric powerplant on the

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

located in southwest

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

near the Hungarian border and the town of Gabčíkovo, after which it has been named. The dam was opened in the 1990s for the purpose of harnessing Danube's power in form of electricity, easing the

navigability A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Navigability is also referred to in the broader context of a body of water having sufficient under ...

of the relatively busy

waterway A waterway is any Navigability, navigable body of water. Broad distinctions are useful to avoid ambiguity, and disambiguation will be of varying importance depending on the nuance of the equivalent word in other ways. A first distinction is ...

and providing greater flood protection to the nearby area of Žitný Island. However, it has been criticized for its impact on the natural environment, namely on rare alluvial forests spread around Danube's uniquely preserved system of river arms. The dam creates a reservoir of the same name, which spans upstream to Slovakia's capital

Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...

. It is a popular location for recreational activities, including

watersports Water sports or aquatic sports are sports activities conducted on waterbodies and can be categorized according to the degree of immersion by the participants. On the water * Boat racing, the use of powerboats to participate in races * Boatin ...

and cycling. Since Gabčíkovo dam has been constructed on a

lowland Upland and lowland are conditional descriptions of a plain based on elevation above sea level. In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland or lowland. Definitions Upland and lowland are portions of a ...

with no natural barriers and elevation differences to hold the retained water, long artificial levees have been constructed on the sides of the reservoir, spanning its length. The original plan involved constructing part of the reservoir on Hungarian soil, but due to Hungary having abandoned the project, secondary Čunovo Dam has been constructed to restrain the flooded area only to Slovak soil. Čunovo Dam lets a portion of river's discharge flow into the old (former) Danube's main channel, around which the aforementioned alluvial forests are located, while Gabčíkovo Dam together with the side levees create a new, artificial main channel for the rest of the water volume.

Image gallery

Gabčíkovo - Vodné dielo.jpg, Areal view of Gabčíkovo Dam 20230501.Schleuse Gabčíkovo.-019.jpg, Entrance into one of the locks 20230421.Schleuse Gabčíkovo.-013.jpg, Sailing through one of the locks at night Bősi vízierőmű - Kilátás a torony alól.JPG, Both locks Vodné dielo Gabčíkovo 17 Slovakia.jpg, Water next to the dam upstream Bősi vízierőmű - irányítótorony.JPG, Tower on the dam 930 05 Gabčíkovo, Slovakia - panoramio.jpg, Countryside next to the dam Gabcikovo vodni dilo.JPG, A cycle path next to the reservoir

Notes

{{Danube dams Dams in Slovakia Hydroelectric power stations in Slovakia