DamDB
107 dams worldwide with height, capacity, type, river, and engineering history. From the Three Gorges to Hoover Dam.
Featured
Three Gorges Dam
The largest power station in the world by capacity at 22.5 GW. 181 m tall and 2,335 m long...
Hoover Dam
An engineering marvel of the 20th century. 221 m tall. Created Lake Mead, the largest rese...
Itaipu Dam
The second largest hydroelectric dam by capacity at 14 GW. Jointly operated by Brazil and ...
Aswan High Dam
Built with Soviet assistance. Controls Nile flooding and generates 2.1 GW. Created Lake Na...
Grande Dixence Dam
The tallest gravity dam in the world at 285 m. The tallest dam in Switzerland. Part of the...
Nurek Dam
The tallest dam in the world at 300 m. An earth-fill dam. 3 GW capacity. Built by the Sovi...
Oroville Dam
The tallest dam in the USA at 235 m. An earth-fill dam. In 2017, the spillway collapsed du...
Kariba Dam
Created Lake Kariba, one of the worlds largest artificial lakes at 5,400 km2. Generates 1,...
Arch (33)
Kariba Dam
Created Lake Kariba, one of the worlds largest artificial lakes at 5,400 km2. Generates 1,...
Xiaowan Dam
The tallest arch dam in the world at 292 m. 4.2 GW capacity. Part of the Lancang River cas...
Jinping-I Dam
The tallest dam in the world at 305 m. A double-curvature arch dam. 3.6 GW capacity. Locat...
Xiluodu Dam
The third tallest dam in China. 13.9 GW capacity makes it the third largest power station....
Baihetan Dam
The second largest hydroelectric power station at 16 GW. 289 m tall. Features ultra-high-h...
Wudongde Dam
Part of the Jinsha River cascade with 10.2 GW capacity. 270 m tall. The seventh largest po...
Ertan Dam
Was the tallest dam in China when built. 3.3 GW capacity. The first large hydropower proje...
Goupitan Dam
The tallest dam in Guizhou province. 3 GW capacity. A double-curvature arch dam. Located o...
Danba Dam
A concrete face rock-fill dam on the Dadu River. Part of the extensive hydropower developm...
Laxiwa Dam
The tallest dam on the Yellow River at 250 m. 4.2 GW capacity. An arch dam in a deep gorge...
Lijiaxia Dam
A 165 m arch dam on the Yellow River. 2 GW capacity. One of several large dams on the uppe...
Cahora Bassa Dam
One of the largest dams in Africa. 2.1 GW capacity. The reservoir is 270 km long. Built by...
Embankment (31)
Aswan High Dam
Built with Soviet assistance. Controls Nile flooding and generates 2.1 GW. Created Lake Na...
Tehri Dam
The tallest dam in India at 261 m. 2.4 GW capacity. Built on a tributary of the Ganges. Co...
Nurek Dam
The tallest dam in the world at 300 m. An earth-fill dam. 3 GW capacity. Built by the Sovi...
Rogun Dam
The tallest dam in the world at 335 m when completed. Still under construction. Would gene...
Tarbela Dam
The largest earth-filled dam in the world by volume. 3.5 GW capacity. 143 m tall and 2,743...
Mangla Dam
The seventh largest dam in the world by volume. 1 GW capacity. Named after the village sub...
Akosombo Dam
Created Lake Volta, the largest artificial lake by surface area at 8,502 km2. Generates 1 ...
Mohale Dam
Part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project. 145 m tall earth-fill dam. Connected to Katse...
Merowe Dam
A 1.25 GW dam on the Nile in northern Sudan. The reservoir is 174 km long. Displaced over ...
Roseires Dam
A dam on the Blue Nile, heightened from 30 m to 68 m in 2013. Provides irrigation and hydr...
Mtera Dam
One of the largest dams in Tanzania. The reservoir covers 660 km2. Generates 80 MW. Import...
Kainji Dam
The first dam on the Niger River in Nigeria. 760 MW capacity. The reservoir, Lake Kainji, ...
Gravity (22)
Three Gorges Dam
The largest power station in the world by capacity at 22.5 GW. 181 m tall and 2,335 m long...
Itaipu Dam
The second largest hydroelectric dam by capacity at 14 GW. Jointly operated by Brazil and ...
Grand Coulee Dam
The largest concrete structure in the USA and largest power station in North America at 6....
Guri Dam
The third largest hydroelectric complex by capacity at 10.2 GW. The reservoir, Lake Guri, ...
Tucurui Dam
One of the largest dams in the Amazon basin. 8.4 GW capacity. Displaced over 30,000 people...
Krasnoyarsk Dam
One of the largest power stations in Russia at 6 GW. 124 m tall. The reservoir is 388 km l...
Bratsk Dam
Once the largest power station in the world. 4.5 GW capacity. The reservoir, Lake Bratsk, ...
Bhakra Dam
One of the highest gravity dams in the world. 226 m tall. The reservoir, Gobind Sagar, is ...
Sardar Sarovar Dam
One of the most controversial dams in the world. 163 m tall. Part of the Narmada Valley De...
Iron Gates I Dam
The largest dam on the Danube. 2.3 GW shared equally between Romania and Serbia. The lock ...
Grande Dixence Dam
The tallest gravity dam in the world at 285 m. The tallest dam in Switzerland. Part of the...
Dworshak Dam
The tallest straight-axis concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere. 219 m tall. 400 MW capac...
Roller-compacted (6)
Dasu Dam
Under construction. Will generate 4.3 GW. Part of Pakistans plan to exploit Indus hydropow...
Longtan Dam
One of the tallest RCC dams in the world at 217 m. 6.3 GW capacity. The reservoir is 220 k...
Gilgel Gibe III Dam
The tallest RCC dam in Africa at 243 m. 1.9 GW capacity. Controversial for reducing water ...
Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Africas largest hydroelectric project at 6.5 GW. Controversial: Egypt fears reduced Nile f...
Diamer-Bhasha Dam
Will be the tallest RCC dam in the world at 272 m. 4.5 GW capacity. Will store 8.1 MAF of ...
Changuinola Dam
One of the tallest dams in Central America. 223 MW capacity. Part of Panamas efforts to ex...
Run-of-river (5)
Nagymaros Dam
Part of the Gabckkovo-Nagymaros project. Hungary cancelled its part in 1989. Slovakia comp...
Gabckkovo Dam
Completed by Slovakia after Hungary pulled out of the joint project. 720 MW capacity. A ma...
Iron Gates II Dam
Downstream of Iron Gates I. 432 MW capacity. Another joint Romanian-Serbian project. Part ...
Neelum-Jhelum Dam
A 969 MW run-of-river project using a 28 km tunnel system. Part of the Neelum-Jhelum hydro...
Yacyreta Dam
A bi-national dam on the Parana River. 3.1 GW capacity. Built much lower than planned due ...
Diversion (5)
Sir Adam Beck Generating Station
Not a traditional dam but a hydroelectric diversion from Niagara Falls. Was the largest hy...
Snoqualmie Falls Power Plant
One of the oldest hydroelectric plants in the world, still operational. Built in a cave 82...
Palo Verde Diversion Dam
A diversion dam on the Colorado River providing irrigation water to the Palo Verde Valley ...
Imperial Dam
A diversion dam that sends water to the Imperial Valley and Coachella Valley. Over 90% of ...
Grand Valley Diversion Dam
A roller dam on the Colorado River near Grand Junction, Colorado. Diverts water for irriga...
Arch-gravity (3)
Hoover Dam
An engineering marvel of the 20th century. 221 m tall. Created Lake Mead, the largest rese...
Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam
The tallest dam in Russia at 242 m. 6.4 GW capacity. A catastrophic accident in 2009 kille...
Glen Canyon Dam
Controversial for flooding Glen Canyon. Created Lake Powell, the second largest reservoir ...