A dam is a blockade which stops or limits the flow of water or underground stream. Reservoirs created by dams not only hold back floods but also offer water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture, and navigability. Besides these commercial use, these dams offer a mesmerizing view of the pooled water and make a perfect place for a day out. There are many dams all over the world but we have brought you a handpicked list of 10 best dams.
Based on the water storage capacity, Kariba dam is the world’s largest storage dam. It is situated at the former Kariwa Kariba Gorge, the dam builds Lake Kariba, which has a storage capacity of 185 billion cubic meters of water and a surface area of 5,580km2. The twofold curvature concrete arch dam is possessed by Zambezi River Authority and was created between 1955 and 1959 by Impresit of Italy.
Bratsk Dam in Siberia, Russia is marked as the second biggest dam in the whole world. It has 169.27 billion cubic meters reservoir. The dam confiscates the Angara River and the reservoir formed by it covers a surface area of 5,540km2. The concrete gravity dam is controlled by Irkutskenergo and was build up from 1954 to 1964 by Bratskgesstroy formerly Nizhneangargesstroy management.
Akosombo dam is situated in Ghana and is the third biggest dam based on water storage capacity. Build on the Volta River, the dam creates the 8,500km2 Lake Volta, which is the world's major reservoir by surface area. The lake holds a mammoth 144 billion cubic meters of water.
The Daniel Johnson Dam is also called as Manic 5 Dam, holds the Manicouagan River that makes the Manicouagan Reservoir with a storage capacity of 139.8 billion cubic meters. The reservoir has a surface area of 1,973km2 and is the fourth biggest river in the world.
Guri is the world's fifth largest dam and has a storage facility of 135 billion cubic meters and makes the Guri Lake covering 4,000km2. The concrete gravity and embankment dam has 1,300m length and 16m height and provides 70 percent of the country's power needs. It is controlled by CVG Electrification del Caroni CA Edelca.
The Aswan High Dam holds River Nile and makes Lake Nasser. It is the sixth biggest dam on the basis of water storage capacity. The dam's reservoir has a storage capacity of 132 billion cubic meters.
W.A.C Bennett Dam is set up on the Peace River in British Columbia, Canada which makes the Williston Lake. It is the seventh largest dam with a capacity of around 74 billion cubic meters and has a surface area of 1,773km2.
Krasnoyarsk Dam is the eighth largest dam which holds the Yenisey River and makes the Krasnoyarskoye reservoir. It has a capacity of 73.3 billion cubic meters. The reservoir covers the surface area of 2,000km2 and has a shoreline of about 1,560km.
The Zeya Dam is set up on Zeya River in the Amur Oblast of Russia. It makes the Zeya reservoir and has a capacity of 68.42 billion cubic meters and covers an area of 2,419km2. It is the ninth largest dam in the world.
Robert Bourassa Dam holds the La Grande River in northern Quebec, Canada, and makes the Robert-Bourassa Reservoir. It is the tenth biggest dam in the world and has a capacity of 61.7 billion cubic meters covering a surface area of 2,815km2.