The Köprü Dam is a
gravity dam
A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is ...
on the
Göksu
The Göksu River (), known in antiquity as the Calycadnus and in the Middle Ages as the Saleph, is a river on the Taşeli Plateau in southern Turkey. Its two sources arise in the Taurus Mountains—the northern in the Geyik Mountains and the s ...
, the main tributary of the
Seyhan River
The Seyhan River (formerly written ''Seihan'', ''Sihun''; ancient name: , ''Sáros''), alternatively known as ''Sarus'' (or in Turkish as ''Sarus Su''),John Garstang and O.R. Gurney is the longest river of Cilicia and the longest of Turkey t ...
about northwest of
Kozan in
Adana Province
Adana Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey located in central Cilicia. The administrative seat of the province is the city of Adana, home to 78.25% of the r ...
, Turkey. Its primary purpose is
hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
power generation. Construction began in 2009 and was complete in 2012. On 24 February 2012, the dam's diversion tunnel seal broke while the dam was impounding the river for the first time. This resulted in of water flooding the downstream area of the dam. The accident and subsequent flood killed 10 workers. Downstream communities received proper warning and no one was killed.
See also
*
Dam failure
A dam failure or dam burst is a catastrophic type of structural failure characterized by the sudden, rapid, and uncontrolled release of impounded water or the likelihood of such an uncontrolled release. Between the years 2000 and 2009 more than ...
*
Kavşak Bendi Dam – downstream on the Sehyan River
*
List of dams and reservoirs in Turkey
Below is a partial list of dams in Turkey separated by region.
Aegean Region
There are 45 dams in the Aegean Region, western part of Turkey.
* Adıgüzel Dam, Denizli
* Afşar Dam, Manisa
* Akdeğirmen Dam, Afyonkarahisar
* Akgedik Dam, Muğla
* ...
References
Dams in Adana Province
Hydroelectric power stations in Turkey
Dams completed in 2012
Gravity dams
Dam failures in Europe
2012 industrial disasters
Roller-compacted concrete dams
2012 disasters in Turkey
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