Toktogul is a hydroelectric and irrigation dam on the Naryn River in the Jalalabad province of Kyrgyzstan. This dam is the lowest on our list, at 215 meters high.

Longtan Hydroelectric Power Station

Longtan Dam is a large concrete dam on the Hongshui River in China. It reaches a height of 216.5 meters. This huge hydroelectric power station was finally launched in 2009 and consists of 9 hydro generators.

Glen Canyon Dam

Named for Glen Canyon, a colorful series of gorges much of which is now underwater, the dam created the second largest man-made lake in the United States. The height of the dam is approximately 219 meters.

Dvorak Dam

At 219 meters high, Dvorak is the third tallest dam in the United States and the tallest straight-axis dam in the Western Hemisphere.

Contra Dam in Switzerland

Also known as the Verzasca Dam or Locarno Dam, the Contra is an arched dam on the Verzasca River in Switzerland.

Hoover Dam in Arizona

The Hoover Dam is one of the most famous and recognizable in the world, as well as the most visited by tourists. Once known as Boulder Dam, it is a concrete dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada.

Luzzone Dam in Switzerland

With the tallest artificial vertical wall in the world on one of its sides, the Luzzone Dam reaches 225 meters in height.

Bhakra Dam

A concrete gravity dam across the Sutlej River near the border between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh in northern India.

Karun Dam 4 in Iran

Arch-type dam on the Karun River in Iran. The main purpose of the construction of Karun 4 is a power supply and flood control.

Shuibuya Dam

Designed not only to generate electricity, but also for flood control, navigation, tourism and fishing, the Shuibuya Dam is 233 meters high.

Chirkey hydroelectric power station

This arch dam on the Sulak River is the tallest dam of its type in Russia, with a height of 232.5 meters.

El Cajon Dam, Honduras

Officially known as the Francisco Morazan Central Hydroelectric Power Plant, this dam is located in Western Honduras. Its height is 226 meters and its length is 282 meters.

Oroville Dam, California

At 230 meters high, this embankment dam was built on the Feather River in California and is the tallest in the United States.

Ertan Dam in China

This 240 meter high dam rises majestically over the Yalong River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in Sichuan Province, southwest China.

Sayano-Shushenskaya HPP

Located on the Yenisei River, near Sayanogorsk in Russia, this dam is the largest power plant in the country and the sixth largest hydroelectric station in the world.

Gas Mika in Canada

This 243-meter-tall dam spans the Columbia River 135 kilometers north of Revelstoke, Canada.

Deriner Dam in Turkey

Named after Ibrahim Deriner, who died during construction work while the chief engineer of the research team, the dam is located on the Sorukh River 3 miles east of Artvin, Türkiye.

Laksiva Dam

The 250-meter-high Laxiwa Dam was built on the Yellow River in Qingai Province, northwestern China.

Dam Mauvoisin

With the Blanc de Chellon mountain in the background, the Mauvoisin dam formed the lake of the same name in the Swiss Alps. The height of the dam is 250 meters.

Tehri Dam

This multi-purpose embankment dam made of rocks, stones and earth is built on the Bhagirathi River near the city of Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. Its height is 261 meters.

Vajont Dam in Italy

A disused dam north of Venice, Italy. In 1963, there was a landslide that broke a dam, causing approximately 2,000 deaths.

Inguri Dam in Georgia

This hydroelectric dam on the Enguri River in Georgia is the second tallest concrete arc dam in the world.

Hydrocomplex Clezon-Dixence

At 285 meters high, the concrete gravity dam on the Dixens River in Switzerland is the tallest dam of its type in the world.

Xiaowan Dam in China

People began to build the simplest dams and dams from time immemorial. Their goals were different: protection from floods, creating large reserves of water for dry periods, and later - generating cheap electricity. Small dams have been built in the Middle East for thousands of years. Modern dams are gigantic concrete structures that are impressive in their power and serve several purposes at the same time. Naturally, the largest dams and dams in the world were not built in one year.
As is known, in any hydroelectric power station kinetic energy falling water is converted into mechanical energy of a rotating turbine, which is converted into electrical energy through a generator. The main purpose of a hydraulic structure such as a dam is to direct the flow of water, fence off the territory, and temporarily retain water. Unlike dams, dams are needed to block a river bed with a subsequent rise in the water level upstream and the formation of a reservoir. A dam standing across the drainage sharply demarcates it into two sections with very different water levels. Reservoirs formed behind dams have different uses, the most common of which is the formation of a hydroelectric complex.

1. Jinping-1 hydroelectric power station (305 m)

The dam of the Chinese Jinping-1 hydroelectric power station is currently the highest in the world, which was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records. Essentially, its height is equal to the height of the famous Eiffel Tower. To build this giant 569-meter-long lintel, builders had to pour 5 million cubic meters of concrete into the gorge.
This dam is located in Sichuan province on the Yalongjiang River, near its mouth. The hydroelectric station got its name from the bend the river makes. The Yalongjiang flows through a deep gorge, so the Chinese intend to build a whole cascade of hydroelectric power stations on it in the future.
Construction of Jinping-1 began in 2005, and already in 2012 it was put into operation. It was planned to be built back in the 1960s, but it was done 40 years later. Previously, 7,500 local residents had to be relocated to other places. The project provided for the construction of 6 power units, annually generating 16.6 billion kW of electricity. But only two power units were built, producing 600,000 kW each. It is known that the higher the dam, the more energy the hydroelectric power station can produce, which is now so needed by rapidly developing China. In addition, it should protect the river mouth from floods and washing away of fertile soil. The dam is resistant to earthquakes, which periodically occur here.

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2. Nurek hydroelectric power station (304 m)

In Tajikistan, the Nurek hydroelectric power station was built on the Vakhsh River near the city of Nurek. Its nominal installed capacity is about 2.75 GW, which is 75% of all electricity generated in Tajikistan. The country exports excess energy to its neighbors - Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. Behind the dam is the Nurek reservoir.
The design of the Nurek hydroelectric power station was completed in 1961, and construction began in the same year. The station was put into operation in 1972, and the last power unit was launched in 1979. In addition to generating electricity, water from the reservoir is diverted through a special tunnel to irrigate farmland. In dry years, this reduces power generation.

3. Xiaowan hydroelectric power station (292 m)

This hydroelectric power station was built on the Mekong, which flows through the territory of a number of states, and is the largest hydroelectric power station on it. Construction began on it in early 2002, after 2.5 years the river was blocked, and the first power unit started working in 2009. The dam was completed in 2010, and the last unit was supposed to be launched in 2013.
The Xiaowan hydroelectric power station dam has an arched structure with a height of 292 meters; in its depths there is a hall with 6 hydraulic units with a capacity of 700 MW each, as well as tunnel spillways. The design capacity of the hydroelectric power station is 4.2 GW; on average, it generates 19 billion kWh of electricity per year. The dam has a thick enough profile that allows it to withstand magnitude 8 earthquakes. There are several cascades of spillways located in its body. The underground building of the hydroelectric power station has a length of about 300 meters. Water is supplied to each hydraulic unit through a conduit with a diameter of 9 meters, and after it is discharged through two tunnels. In addition to working tunnels, there are also reserve ones designed to discharge water if necessary.

4. Silodu hydroelectric power station (285.5 m)

This hydroelectric power station was built in China on the Jinsha River and has one of the highest dams in the world. The river is blocked by a dam near the village of Silodu, which is part of the Zhaotong urban district. The Xiluodu Hydroelectric Power Plant has become the core element of the Jinsha River drainage regulation project. Besides main goal- to obtain electricity, the dam must ensure a reduction in the silt content in the water, which is important for drinking water.
The hydroelectric power station was built over 8 years and cost the treasury 11.2 billion dollars. It became the third largest hydroelectric power station in the world. In 2005, when the construction of the hydroelectric power station was in full swing, it had to be suspended, since the consequences of the appearance of this facility on the environment in this region, as it turned out, had not yet been sufficiently studied. Later, however, construction was resumed, and in 2009 the river bed was blocked. In the summer of 2013, the first power unit with a capacity of 770 MW was launched, and the 14th began operating in April 2014. The latest units of the hydroelectric power station went into operation in August of the same year.

5. Grand Dixence (285 m)

Once upon a time, the highest gravity dam in the world was the Grande Dixence, which is part of the Cleison-Dixence hydroelectric complex located in the Rhone basin. It includes a number of dams with reservoirs, diversion hydroelectric power stations and pumping stations. It is located in the Swiss canton of Valais. Melt water flows from 35 surrounding glaciers to the dam. The most water in the reservoirs of the hydraulic complex is collected in September, and in April the water level in them is minimal.
Construction of the Grand Dixence Dam began in 1951 and was completed in 1965. At its base, this gigantic structure is 200 meters thick, its length reaches 695 meters, and its height is 285 meters. 6 million cubic meters of concrete were used for its construction. The dam can be visited, and some hiking trails start here.

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6. Inguri hydroelectric power station (271.5 m)

The Enguri hydroelectric power station is the largest hydroelectric power station in the Caucasus. It was built on the river of the same name near the city of Jvari on the Georgian-Abkhaz border. The key facilities of the hydroelectric power station are located on the territories of both of these conflicting countries, so its operation is possible only in conditions of cooperation of both parties.
Construction of the dam on the Enguri began over 50 years ago, and in 1977 the hydroelectric power station produced its first current. The dam, together with the underground turbine room, forms a hydraulic complex. Travelers are unlikely to be able to get to the dam, however, many of them would like to admire the surrounding mountain landscapes. It was arranged here especially for them observation deck, from where both the surrounding mountains and the dam itself are visible.

7. Vayont Dam (261.6 m)

About a hundred kilometers from Venice there is a very high Vayont dam, which has an arched concrete structure. The Italians planned to build a dam here back in the 20s of the last century, but then world war prevented the implementation of these plans. It was possible to begin construction of the dam only in 1957, but a few years later construction had to be suspended because a crack had formed in the mountain. To ensure normal operation of the dam, a special gallery had to be built along the bottom. When all construction work was completed, the reservoir began to be filled with water.
At the base of the dam are rocks such as limestone and dolomite. To discharge flood waters, a special spillway with 10 channels is provided. In 2002, the dam was opened to the public for the reason that it had ceased to be used. And yet it continues to stand strong even after an accident in which the upper edge of the dam was washed away.

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8. Chicoasen Dam (261 m)

The Chicoasen causeway dam is located in Mexico, on the Grijalva River. Construction began on it in 1974, and it entered service in 1980, after which it became the largest of its kind in North America. The length of the dam was 485 meters. The area of ​​the reservoir formed behind the dam was 52,600 square meters. m, and the minimum volume of water in it reaches 1.6 billion cubic meters.
For arid Mexico, the dam has become one of the main means of water collection. The dam became part of the largest hydroelectric power station in Mexico, which is officially called Manuel Moreno Torres - that was the name of its first owner, but among the population the name of the region where it is located is more often used.

9. Nuojadu Dam

In 2012, China built a new dam on the Mekong River with the Nuozhadu hydroelectric power station, which became the fifth in Yunnan province. The main task of hydroelectric power stations was to produce electricity, and dams were to combat floods and provide navigation. The hydroelectric power station operates 9 electric generators, each of which has a capacity of 650 megawatts. The entire power plant is capable of generating 5,850 megawatts of energy. Construction of this dam began in 2004, the very first generator began spinning in September 2012, and the most recent one was put into operation in June 2014.

10. Teri hydroelectric power station

The state of Uttar Pradesh is located in northern India. The Bhagirathi River flows through its territory, on which a large Teri hydroelectric complex was built. Its underground structures and rockfill dam were built by the Russian company Technopromexport in 1992-2008. The Tehri Dam became the highest in India and, as of 2015, was among the ten highest in the world.
The machine and transformer rooms of this hydroelectric power station are deepened 300 meters below ground level. In addition to the hydroelectric power station, pumped storage power plants are still being built here; both of them should form a single complex, necessary to simplify their operation and reduce the cost of construction.
Over 100,000 local residents had to be resettled from the flood zone during the construction process. Environmental organizations staged numerous protests against the construction of the hydroelectric complex, raising concerns about the negative consequences for the fragile ecology of the Himalayan foothills. The appearance of a dam in a region with high seismic activity did not arouse enthusiasm either. Already in 1991, a fairly strong earthquake of 6.8 magnitude occurred not far from the dam; its epicenter was only 53 km from the dam site. Fortunately, the project provides that the Teri hydroelectric dam is capable of withstanding natural disasters of up to 8.4.