Zipingpu Dam (紫坪铺水利枢纽) 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
Min River near the city of
Dujiangyan
The Dujiangyan () is an ancient irrigation system in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan, China. Originally constructed around 256 BC by the State of Qin (state), Qin as an irrigation and flood control project, it is still in use today. The system's infrast ...
, Sichuan Province in southwest China. It consists of four
generators with a total generating capacity of 760
MW. Construction began in 2001 and was finished late 2006. The dam site was originally developed during the
Shu-Han nearly 2000 years ago.
The traditional
Dujiangyan Irrigation System
The Dujiangyan () is an ancient irrigation system in Dujiangyan City, Sichuan, China. Originally constructed around 256 BC by the State of Qin (state), Qin as an irrigation and flood control project, it is still in use today. The system's infrast ...
consisting of canals,
levee
A levee (), dike (American English), dyke (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English), embankment, floodbank, or stop bank is a structure that is usually soil, earthen and that often runs parallel (geometry), parallel to ...
s, and dams, has been in use since 256 BC.
Controversy
![Zipingpu Dam](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Zipingpu_Dam.JPG)
The
7.9 magnitude quake on May 12, 2008 caused some damage to the dam, with its wall being cracked and fissured. The reservoir had to be gradually drained to permit consolidation works.
The reservoir is located just a few kilometers from the 2008 earthquake epicenter, and just a few hundred meters from the fault. Some geologists hypothesized that the loading and unloading of the
crust below the reservoir caused by changes in the water level may have somehow acted as a trigger to the earthquake. However, this hypothesis has not been demonstrated.
See also
*
List of power stations in China
The following page lists some power stations in mainland China divided by energy source and location.
Coal
Nuclear
Hydroelectric
Solar
Tide
Wind
By location
The following pages list the major power stations ...
References
{{Commons category
Hydroelectric power stations in Sichuan
Dams in China
Concrete-face rock-fill dams
Dams completed in 2006