The Highest Dams and Largest Reservoirs
3 min read · Energy Atlas Editorial
The highest dam is the 305 m high, concrete arch-shaped Jinping-I dam in China. The largest reservoir is Lake Kariba in Zambezi, with a volume of 180 km3.
The Highest Dams Worldwide
The highest dam in the world is the Shuangjiangkou Dam in China (map) on the Dadu River. Its maximum height is 315 metres. Several other very high dams are currently under construction, including the Rogun Dam in Tajikistan, which is designed to reach a height of 335 metres.
Name · Height · Dam type · Location · River Shuangjiangkou · 315 m · Earth-core rockfill · China · Dadu Jinping-I · 305 m · Concrete arch · China · Yalong Lianghekou · 303 m · Earth-core rockfill · China · Yalong Nurek · 300 m · Earthfill · Tajikistan · Vakhsh Xiaowan · 294.5 m · Concrete arch · China · Lancang Baihetan · 289 m · Concrete arch · China · Jinsha Xiluodu · 285.5 m · Concrete arch · China · Jinsha Grande Dixence · 285 m · Concrete gravity · Switzerland · Dixence Yusufeli · 275 m · Double-curvature concrete arch · Turkey · Çoruh Inguri · 271.5 m · Concrete arch · Georgia · Inguri Wudongde · 270 m · Concrete arch · China · Jinsha Vajont · 262 m · Concrete arch · Italy · Vajont Nuozhadu · 261.5 m · Earth-core rockfill · China · Lancang Manuel M. Torres · 261 m · Earth-and-rockfill · Mexico · Grijalva Tehri · 260.5 m · Earth-and-rockfill · India · Bhagirathi Mauvoisin · 250 m · Concrete arch · Switzerland · Dranse de Bagnes Laxiwa · 250 m · Concrete arch · China · Yellow River Deriner · 249 m · Double-curvature concrete arch · Turkey · Çoruh Gilgel Gibe III · 246 m · Roller-compacted concrete gravity · Ethiopia · Omo Alberto Lleras · 243 m · Rockfill · Colombia · Guavio Mica · 243 m · Earthfill · Canada · Columbia
The Largest Reservoirs Worldwide
Reservoir · River · Location · Year · km3 Lake Kariba · Zambezi · Zambia/Zimbabwe · 1959 · 180.6 Bratsk Reservoir · Angara · Russia · 1964 · 169 Lake Volta · Volta · Ghana · 1965 · 150 Manicouagan Reservoir · Manicouagan · Canada · 1968 · 141.8 Guri Reservoir · Caroní · Venezuela · 1986 · 135 Lake Nasser · Nile · Egypt/Sudan · 1971 · 132 Williston Lake · Peace · Canada · 1967 · 74.3 GERD Reservoir · Blue Nile · Ethiopia · 2020 · 74 Krasnoyarsk Reservoir · Yenisei · Russia · 1967 · 73.3 Zeya Reservoir · Zeya · Russia · 1978 · 68.4 Robert-Bourassa · La Grande · Canada · 1981 · 61.7
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