ENCYCLOPEDIA ARTICLE: Dam
Table 2: Landmark dams of the world*
HIGHEST DAMS
  Height  
Order Name River Country Type† ft m Year completed‡
 1
Rogun
Vakhsh
Soviet Union
E-R
1099   
335
    UC
 2
Nurek
Vakhsh
Soviet Union
E
984   
300
    1980
 3
Grand Dixence
Dixence
Switzerland
G
935   
285
    1961
 4
Inguri
Inguri
Soviet Union
A
892   
272
    1980
 5
Vajont
Vajont
Italy
A
860   
262
    1960
 6
Manuel M. Torres
Grijalva
Mexico
R
856   
261
    1980
 7
Tehri
Bhagirathi
India
E-R
856   
261
    UC
 8
Alvaro Obregon
Tennasco
Mexico
G
854   
260
    1946
 9
Kishau
Tons
India
E-R
830   
253
    UC
10
Sayano-Shushensk
Yenisei
Soviet Union
A
804   
245
    UC
11
Guavio
Guavio
Colombia
R
797   
243
    UC
12
Mica
Columbia
Canada
E
794   
242
    1972
13
Mauvoisin
Drance de Bangnes
Switzerland
A
777   
237
    1957
14
Chivor
Bata
Colombia
R
777   
237
    1975
15
El Cajon
Comayagua
Honduras
A
768   
234
    1984
16
Chirkei
Sulak
Soviet Union
A
764   
233
    1978
17
Oroville
Feather
United States
E
754   
230
    1968
18
Bhakra
Sutlej
India
G
741   
226
    1963
19
Hoover
Colorado
United States
G-A
725   
221
    1936
20
Contra
Verzasca
Switzerland
A
722   
220
    1965
21
Mratinje
Piva
Yugoslavia
A
722   
220
    1976
22
Dworshak
Clearwater, N. Fork
United States
G
718   
219
    1973
LARGEST EMBANKMENT DAMS BY VOLUME
 
Volume
  
         
 103 yd3
103 m3
Year completed
 1
Chapeton
Paraná
Argentina
E-G
  387,400
 296,200
    UC
 2
Pati
Paraná
Argentina
E-G
  311,411
 238,100
    UC
 3
Tarbella
Indus
Pakistan
E-R
  194,223
 148,500
    1967
 4
Fort Peck
Missouri
United States
E
  125,624
  96,050
    1937
 5
Lower Usuma
Usuma
Nigeria
E
  121,635
  93,000
    UC
 6
Cipasang
Cimanuk
Indonesia
E-R
  117,842
  90,100
  
 7
Tucurui
Tocantis
Brazil
E-R
   84,098
  85,200
    1984
 8
Ataturk
Firat
Turkey
R
  111,172
  85,000
    UC
 9
Rogun
Vakhsh
Soviet Union
E-R
   98,746
  75,500
    UC
10
Guri
Caroni
Venezuela
R-G
   92,716
  70,889
    1986
11
Oahe
Missouri
United States
E
   91,996
  70,339
    1958
12
Parambikulam
Parambikulam
India
E-G
   90,461
  69,165
    1967
13
Mangla
Jhelum
Pakistan
E
   85,497
  65,370
    1967
14
Gardiner
S. Saskatchewan
Canada
E
   85,014
  65,000
    1968
15
Afsluitdijk
Zuiderzee
Netherlands
E
   82,921
  63,400
    1932
16
Mangla
Jhelum
Pakistan
E
   82,893
  63,379
    1967
17
Oroville
Feather
United States
E
   77,997
  59,635
    1968
18
San Luis
San Luis
United States
E
   77,897
  59,559
    1967
19
Nurek
Vakhsh
Soviet Union
E
   75,858
  58,000
    1980
20
Tanda
Kohat Toi
Pakistan
E
   74,887
  57,250
    1967
LARGEST ARTIFICIAL RESERVOIRS IN TERMS OF CAPACITY
 
Capacity
  
 
 103 acre ft§
105 m3
Year completed
 1
Owen Falls
Victoria Nile
Uganda
  
  166,033
 296,200
    1954
 2
Kariba
Zambezi
Zimbabwe/Zambia
  
  146,090
 180,200
    1959
 3
Bratsk
Angara
Soviet Union
  
  137,010
 169,000
    1964
 4
High Aswan
Nile
Egypt
  
  131,335
 162,000
    1970
 5
Akosombo
Volta
Ghana
  
  119,952
 147,960
    1965
 6
Daniel Johnson
Manicouagan
Canada
  
  115,000
 141,851
    1968
 7
Guri
Caroni
Venezuela
  
  109,446
 135,000
    1986
 8
Krasnoyarsk
Yenisei
Soviet Union
  
   59,425
  73,300
    1967
 9
WAC Bennett
Peace
Canada
  
   57,000
  70,309
    1967
10
Zeya
Zeya
Soviet Union
  
   55,452
  68,400
    1978
11
Cabora Bassa
Zambezi
Mozambique
  
   51,075
  63,000
    1974
12
La Grande 2
La Grande
Canada
  
   50,033
  61,715
    1978
13
Chapeton
Paraná
Argentina
  
   49,129
  60,600
    UC
14
La Grande 3
La Grande
Canada
  
   48,659
  60,020
    1981
15
Ust-Ilim
Angara
Soviet Union
  
   48,075
  59,300
    1977
16
Boguchany
—
Soviet Union
  
   47,183
  58,200
    UC
17
Kuibyshev
Volga
Soviet Union
  
   47,021
  58,000
    1955
18
Serra da Mesa
—
Brazil
  
   44,103
  54,400
    UC
19
Caniapiscau Barrage KA 3
Caniapiscau
Canada
  
   43,608
  53,790
    1980
20
Upper Wainganga
Wainganga
India
  
   41,103
  50,700
    UC
*As of January 1988.  †E = embankment, earth-fill. R = embankment, rock-fill. E-R = embankment, earth and rock-fill. G = gravity. A = arch.
‡UC = under construction.  §1 acre foot = 1 acre of water 1 foot deep.
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