The Dez Dam (), formerly known as Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlavi Dam (Persian: ), before the
1979 Revolution
The Iranian Revolution (, ), also known as the 1979 Revolution, or the Islamic Revolution of 1979 (, ) was a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. The revolution led to the replacement of the Impe ...
, is an
arch dam
An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, causing the arch to straighten slightly and strengtheni ...
on the
Dez River
The Dez (), the ancient Coprates (;James Knowles (1835) ''A Pronouncing and Explanatory Dictionary of the English Language'' or Κοπράτας), is a river in Iran. This 400 km long river is a tributary of the Karun River. It is the site ...
in the southwestern province of
Andimeshk,
Khuzsetan. It was built between 1959 and 1963 during the rule of
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (26 October 1919 – 27 July 1980) was the last List of monarchs of Iran, Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 to 1979. He succeeded his father Reza Shah and ruled the Imperial State of Iran until he was overthrown by the ...
, the last
Shah
Shāh (; ) is a royal title meaning "king" in the Persian language.Yarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII, no. 1 (1989) Though chiefly associated with the monarchs of Iran, it was also used to refer to the leaders of numerous Per ...
of Iran, with contacting an Italian consortium and is owned by the Khuzestan Water & Power Authority.
The dam is high, making it one of the highest in the country, and has a reservoir capacity of . At the time of construction the Dez Dam was
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...
's biggest development project. The primary purpose of the dam 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 production and
irrigation
Irrigation (also referred to as watering of plants) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has bee ...
. It has an associated 520 MW power station and its reservoir helps irrigate up to of farmland. US$42 million of the cost to construct the dam came from the
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and Grant (money), grants to the governments of Least developed countries, low- and Developing country, middle-income countries for the purposes of economic development ...
.
Background
Impregilo was involved with building the Dez Dam. Plans for the dam were finalized in 1957 and construction began in 1959. In 1962 the first generator was commissioned. In 1963 the dam was complete with two of the eight 65 MW
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today, and can achieve over 95% efficiency.
The pro ...
generators commissioned. The remaining six were commissioned by 1970. In the late 1970s the irrigation of the project had reached of its goal.
[
The dam's current problem is the annual loss of reservoir capacity due to the erosion of soil in upstream areas. By 2006, the reservoir volume was estimated to be .]
Gallery
File:DezReservoir-June2016.jpg, Aerial view of the Dez Reservoir
See also
* Dams in Iran
References
External links
{{Dams and reservoirs in Iran
Hydroelectric power stations in Iran
Reservoirs in Iran
Buildings and structures in Khuzestan province
Dams in Khuzestan Province
Dams completed in 1963
Dams in the Tigris–Euphrates river system
1963 establishments in Iran
Energy infrastructure completed in 1963