Opening date 1961 Length 390 m (1,280 ft) Installed capacity 90 MW Opened 1961 Impound Karaj River | Impounds Karaj River Creates Amir Kabir Lake Height 180 m Construction began 1957 | |
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Total capacity 202,000,000 m (163,764 acre·ft) Similar Latyan Dam, Lar Dam, Dizin, Sefidrud Dam, Dez Dam | ||
Amir Kabir dam (Persian: سد امیر کبیر), also known as Karaj dam, is a dam on the Karaj River in the Central Alborz mountain range of northern Iran.
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Map of Alborz Province, Tunnel No. 2, Karaj Dam, Iran
It is located 63 kilometres (39 mi) northwest of Tehran and 23 kilometres (14 mi) north of Karaj. Amir kabir Dam was constructed on the Karaj River, and was the first multi-purpose dam in Iran.
Construction
The initial studies for Amirkabir Dam took 22 years until 1956 when formal proceedings began and the dam was constructed in the period from 1957 to 1961 by Morrison-Knudsen Co..
Specifications
The ecliptic concrete structure is 180 metres (590 ft) high, with 30 metres (98 ft) length on bottom and 390 metres (1,280 ft) on top and its watershed is 764 kilometres (475 mi) long. The average annual water inflow to its reservoir is 472 million cubic meters. The total capacity of the dam's reservoir is 202 million cubic meters. The bottom elevation of reservoir and normal water surface elevation of reservoir are 1,545 metres (5,069 ft) and 1,610 metres (5,280 ft) respectively.
Purpose
The Amir kabir Dam was built as a multi-purpose dam to provide tap water for Tehran alongside agricultural development in Karaj. It supplies the irrigation demand of over 50,000 hectares (120,000 acres) of farm land near Karaj. The power plant has been connected to the national electricity network for over 46 years and has a capacity of 90 megawatts. The lake behind the dam is a touristic attraction while being a natural habitat for rainbow trout. With its sailing and water-skiing facilities, the dam is a popular weekend summer resort.