Upper Gotvand Dam, or simply the Gotvand Dam, is an

embankment dam An embankment dam is a large artificial dam. It is typically created by the placement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil or rock. It has a semi-pervious waterproof natural covering for its surface and ...

on the

Karun River The Karun ( fa, کارون, ) is the Iranian river with the highest water flow, and its only navigable river. It is long. It rises in the Zard Kuh mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as t ...

about northeast of

Gotvand Gotvand ( fa, گتوند) is a city and capital of Gotvand County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 21,428, in 4,422 families. Gotvand holds share-record for highest temperature recorded in Iran with on July 17, 2 ...

Khuzestan Province Khuzestan Province (also spelled Xuzestan; fa, استان خوزستان ''Ostān-e Xūzestān'') is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahvaz and it covers ...

, Iran. It currently has an installed capacity of 1,000 MW with another 1,000 MW in the works for a second phase. Studies for the Karun River began in the 1960s and specific designs on the Upper Gotvand were presented in 1967, 1975 and 1982. After the design and location were chosen, a further study was carried out in 1997, the same year preliminary construction (roads, bridges, river diversion) began. The river was diverted by April 2003 and excavation began soon thereafter. After completion of the dam, impounding of its reservoir began on 30 July 2011 during a ceremony attended by Iranian President

Mahmood Ahmadinejad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ( fa, محمود احمدی‌نژاد, Mahmūd Ahmadīnežād ), born Mahmoud Sabbaghian ( fa, محمود صباغیان, Mahmoud Sabbāghyān, 28 October 1956),

. The first generator of phase one was commissioned on 5 May 2012, two more by 18 September 2012 and the final in November 2012. Ahmadinejad was again present for the dam's inauguration on 22 April 2013. Phase 2 is estimated to be complete in 2015 and the dam is going to become one of Iran's largest

power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many p ...

s and is already its tallest earth-fill dam. Downstream of the Upper Gotvand Dam is the high Lower Gotvand Dam at . Constructed from 1975 to 1977, it serves to divert portions of the river into two canals for the irrigation of of farmland.

References

Hydroelectric power stations in Iran Dams in Khuzestan Province Dams completed in 2012 Dams on the Karun River 2012 establishments in Iran Energy infrastructure completed in 2012 Earth-filled dams Gotvand County {{Iran-powerstation-stub

See also

References