This is a list of the tallest dams in the world over in height. The tallest dam in the world is the
Jinping-I Dam
The Jinping-I Dam () also known as the Jinping-I Hydropower Station or Jinping 1st Cascade, is a tall arch dam on the Jinping Bend of the Yalong River (Yalong Jiang) in Liangshan, Sichuan, China. Construction on the project began in 2005 and w ...
, an
arch dam
An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengthe ...
in China at . The tallest
embankment dam and second tallest dam in the world is the
Nurek Dam
The Nurek Dam (russian: Нурекская ГЭС; Tajik: Нерӯгоҳи обии Норак, ''Nerūgohi obii Norak'', Tajik for Nurek Hydro-electric Station) is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Vakhsh River in Tajikistan. Its primary purpo ...
in Tajikistan. The tallest
gravity dam is the high
Grande Dixence Dam
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The Grande Dixence Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Dixence at the head of the Val d'Hérémence in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. At high, it is the tallest gravity dam in the world, sixth tallest dam overall, and the tall ...
in Switzerland. The tallest natural dam, the
Usoi Dam
The Usoi Dam is a natural landslide dam along the Murghab River in Tajikistan. At high, it is the tallest dam in the world, either natural or man-made. The dam was created on February 18, 1911, when the 7.4- Ms Sarez earthquake caused a massive ...
in Tajikistan, is taller than the tallest existing man-made one.
Existing
Under construction
Gallery
File:BarrageDeLaGrandeDixenceFaceValee.JPG, The Grande Dixence Dam
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The Grande Dixence Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Dixence at the head of the Val d'Hérémence in the canton of Valais in Switzerland. At high, it is the tallest gravity dam in the world, sixth tallest dam overall, and the tall ...
in Switzerland
File:Enguri Dam, Georgia.jpg, The Inguri Dam
The Enguri Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Enguri River in Tsalenjikha, Georgia. Currently, it is the world's second highest concrete arch dam with a height of .
It is located north of the town of Jvari. It is part of the Enguri hydro ...
in Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
File:VajontDiga.jpg, The Vajont Dam
The Vajont Dam (or Vaiont Dam) is a disused dam in northern Italy. It is one of the tallest dams in the world, with a height of . It is in the valley of the Vajont River under Monte Toc, in the municipality of Erto e Casso, north of Venice ...
in Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
File:Tehri dam india.jpg, The Tehri Dam
With a height of 260.5 m (855 ft) Tehri Dam is the tallest dam in India and 12th tallest dam in the world. With a total planned installed capacity of 2400 MW, it's the biggest Hydroelectric power plant in India. It is a multi-purpose rock and ea ...
in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
File:MicaDam.JPG, The Mica Dam
Mica Dam is a hydroelectric embankment dam spanning the Columbia River 135 kilometres north of Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. It was built as one of three Canadian projects under the terms of the 1964 Columbia River Treaty and is operate ...
in Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
File:Саяно-Шушенская ГЭС.jpg, The Sayano Shushenskaya Dam in Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
File:OrovilleDam.jpg, The Oroville Dam
Oroville Dam is an earthfill embankment dam on the Feather River east of the city of Oroville, California, in the Sierra Nevada foothills east of the Sacramento Valley. At 770 feet (235 m) high, it is the tallest dam in the U.S. and ser ...
in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
File:El Cajon Dam Honduras.jpg, The El Cajón Dam in Honduras
File:Bhakra Dam Aug 15 2008.JPG, The Bhakra Dam
Bhakra Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the Sutlej River in Bhakra Village near Bilaspur in Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh in northern India. The dam forms the Gobind Sagar reservoir.
The dam, located at a gorge near the (now submerge ...
in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
File:Luzzone2.jpg, The Luzzone Dam in Switzerland
File:HooverDamFrontWater.jpg, The Hoover Dam in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
File:Damm-Lago di Vogorno-2004 09 10 22 55 20.jpg, The Verzasca Dam Verzasca may refer to:
* Valle Verzasca, valley in Switzerland
* Verzasca, river in Switzerland
* Verzasca, municipality in Switzerland
{{geodis ...
in Switzerland
File:Piva Mratinje Dam.JPG, The Mratinje Dam
The Mratinje Dam ( cnr, Брана Мратиње, Brana Mratinje) is a concrete arch dam in the canyon of the Piva River in Montenegro.
The dam was completed in 1975 with designs by Energoprojekt. Its construction resulted in the flooding of the ...
in Montenegro
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, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
File:IdukkiDamConcaveSide.jpg, The Idukki Dam
The Idukki Dam is a double curvature arch dam constructed across the Periyar River in a narrow gorge between two granite hills locally known as '' Kuravan'' and ''Kurathi'' in Idukki, Kerala, India. At , it is one of the highest arch dams in As ...
in India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
Notes
* A 300m and 280m tall design under consideration
* Non-realized project of
Soviet-era
The history of Soviet Russia and the Soviet Union (USSR) reflects a period of change for both Russia and the world. Though the terms "Soviet Russia" and "Soviet Union" often are synonymous in everyday speech (either acknowledging the dominance ...
* Construction stopped as a result of
Gulf war
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
References
{{supertall, state=collapsed
Dams
A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...