Nurek Dam

A huge wall sits on a river.

It is in a land called Tajikistan. This wall is made of rock and earth. It is very tall. The wall holds back water to make a big lake. This lake helps make power. The power helps people turn on lights. The water also helps plants grow on farms. This wall was once the tallest in the world. It is still the second tallest man-made wall. It is a very big thing to see.

The Nurek Dam sits on the Vakhsh River.

It is in the country of Tajikistan. This dam is made of rock and earth. It has a center made of cement. This cement core stops water from leaking through. The dam was built by the Soviet Union. Work began in 1961 and ended in 1980. At that time, it was the tallest dam in the world. Now, it is the second tallest man-made dam. The dam holds back water to make a big lake. This lake is called the Nurek reservoir. It is the largest reservoir in Tajikistan. The water in the lake helps make power. The dam has nine Francis turbines. These are machines that make electricity. They were changed to make more power between 1984 and 1988. Today, the dam gives 70% of the nation's electricity. The water also helps farms grow food. It travels through a long tunnel to reach the land. About 5,000 people had to move when the lake filled up.

An old coin was found near the lake.

The Nurek Dam is a huge structure in Tajikistan. It sits in a deep gorge on the Vakhsh River. This dam helps make electricity for many people. It is an earth-fill embankment dam. This means it is made of rock and earth.

A special cement core sits in the middle. This core acts as a barrier. It stops water from leaking through the mound. The total volume of the mound is 54 million cubic meters.

This dam works by using water to make power. It holds back water to create the Nurek reservoir. This reservoir is the largest in Tajikistan. It can hold 10.5 cubic kilometers of water. The water from the lake drives a power station. This station uses nine Francis turbine-generators. These machines turn the moving water into electricity. The water also helps farmers grow food. It travels through the 14-kilometer Dangara irrigation tunnel. This water reaches about 7,000 hectares of farmland.

Building this dam was a very big job. The Soviet Union started construction in 1961. The first generator began working in 1972. The last generator was finished in 1979. The whole project was done in 1980. At that time, it was the tallest dam in the world. Now, it is the second tallest man-made dam. The Jinping-I Dam became taller in 2013. A new project called the Rogun Dam might one day be even bigger.

There are many important numbers to know about Nurek. The dam has a capacity of 3,015 megawatts. This is the amount of power it can make. Each of the nine units can make 335 megawatts. Between 1984 and 1988, workers updated the machines. They used to make 2,700 megawatts in total. Now, they make much more.

By 1994, the dam provided most of the nation's power. Today, it supplies 70% of Tajikistan's electricity.

Life changed for many people because of this dam. About 5,000 people had to move from the area. This happened because the water flooded their land. A town called Nurek is located near the dam. Many engineers and workers live there. They work at the power plant to keep it running.

You can even find history near the water. An old coin called a Tetradrachm was found nearby. This shows people have lived by this river for a long time.

The Nurek Dam is a massive earth-fill embankment dam. It is located in a deep gorge on the Vakhsh River. This structure sits in western Tajikistan, east of the capital city, Dushanbe. The dam serves a very important purpose for the country. It is used to generate hydroelectric power. It also creates a large reservoir to store water. This stored water is vital for the region.

The dam uses a unique construction method to stay strong. It is built as a giant mound of rock and earth. This mound has a total volume of 54 million cubic meters. Inside the middle of this mound is a central core made of cement. This cement core acts as an impermeable barrier. An impermeable barrier is something that water cannot pass through. This core stops water from leaking through the earth and rock. This design allows the dam to hold back a huge amount of water safely.

Behind the dam, a large body of water called the Nurek reservoir forms. This is the largest reservoir in Tajikistan. It has a total capacity of 10.5 cubic kilometers. The reservoir is over 75 kilometers in length. It also has a surface area of 52 square kilometers. The water in this reservoir provides the energy needed for the power station. Beyond making power, the reservoir also helps with agriculture. Water is sent through the 14-kilometer Dangara irrigation tunnel. This tunnel carries water to irrigate about 7,000 hectares of farmland.

The electricity is produced by a power station located within the dam. This station uses nine Francis turbine-generators. A turbine is a machine with blades that spins when water hits it. The spinning motion creates electricity. Originally, the nine units had a total capacity of 2,700 megawatts. Each unit could produce 300 megawatts at that time. Between 1984 and 1988, engineers retrofitted and redesigned the units. This process updated the machines to be more powerful. Now, each unit has a capacity of 335 megawatts. The total installed capacity is 3,015 megawatts.

History shows how much work went into this massive project. The Soviet Union began construction in 1961. The first generator was commissioned, or put into service, in 1972. The final generator was commissioned in 1979. The entire project was completed in 1980. At that time, Tajikistan was still a republic within the Soviet Union. When it was finished, the Nurek Dam was the tallest dam in the world. In 2013, the Jinping-I Dam became taller than Nurek. This makes the Nurek Dam the second tallest man-made dam in the world today.

The impact of the dam on the nation is enormous. As of 1994, the dam provided most of the country's 4.0 gigawatt hydroelectric capacity. At that time, it met 98% of the nation's electricity needs. By early 2024, the dam supplied 70% of all electricity in Tajikistan. This shows how much the country relies on this single structure. However, building the dam changed life for local people. An estimated 5,000 people were resettled because the flooding area covered their homes.

There are many connections between the dam and the surrounding area. A town called Nurek is located near the dam. This town houses the engineers and workers who run the power plant. The area also has a long history of human activity. An ancient coin called a Tetradrachm of Euthydemus II was found on the banks of the reservoir.

Scientists also study the reservoir's effect on the earth. It is suspected that the reservoir may have caused induced seismicity. This means the weight of the impounded water might cause small earthquakes. Another project, the Rogun Dam, is also being built on the Vakhsh River. It may eventually exceed the Nurek Dam in size.