STRANGE DAMS

THREE GORGES DAM

Sandouping, China–Yangtze River.

China's Three Gorges Dam is not only the world's largest

hydroelectric dam, it's also the world's single largest

source of electricity. The structure's estimated life is as

short as 70 years; that was deemed long enough to

justify the displacement of 1.24 million people.

ITAIPU DAM

On the border of Brazil and Paraguay–Parana River. 

The Itaipu Dam, a partnership between Brazil

and Paraguay, generated over 90,000 gigawatt

hours of power in 2000—then a world record for

hydroelectric generation. With a height of more than

196 meters, the dam stands as tall as a 65-story

building.  Its construction used enough steel to

build 380 Eiffel Towers, along with 12.3 million

cubic meters of concrete.

Guri Dam

Where: Bolivar State, Venezuela–Caroni River.

The Guri Dam in Venezuela not only boasts sky-high

walls and powerful generators, it also has artistic flair.

Artist Carlos Cruz Diez decorated one of the plant's

machine rooms in mind-bending pattern of colourful

vertical bars, while Alejandro Otero built an enormous

rotating kinetic sculpture nearby. The dam produces the

energy equivalent of approximately 300,000 barrels

of oil per day.

GRAND COULEE DAM

Grand Coulee, Washington–Columbia River.

Washington state's Grand Coulee Dam is the largest in

the United States. Nearly a mile long and 503 meters wide,

its base area is large enough to hold all the pyramids of

Giza. At 115 meters high, the dam is more than twice the

height of Niagara Falls.

SAYANO-SHUSHENSKAYA DAM

Khakassia, Russia–Yenisei River.

Russia's Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam may not hold any

records for its electricity generation, but other dams are

no match for its sheer strength—the structure's stated

ability to withstand 8.0-magnitude earthquakes has earned it

a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records. 

KRASNOYARSK DAM

Divnogorsk, Russia–Yenisey River. 

Although the Krasnoyarsk dam has operated without

the notoriety of its Russian neighbour, this concrete

gravity dam has troubles of its own. The plant and its

reservoir have apparently wrought changes on the local

climate, causing the area to experience warmer and more

humid weather conditions than the norm, and

reducing ice cover in the area, which is in Siberia.

 ROBERT-BOURASSA DAM

Where: Quebec, Canada–La Grande River.

Situated over Canada's La Grande River, the

Robert-Bourassa dam reaches 140 meters below the surface,

making it the world's largest underground plant. The dam's

centre piece is a unique "giant's staircase"—each step is the

size of two football fields—that sweeps water downward.

SAND DAMS

Kenya.

Since 1995, Kenya has constructed more than 500

sand dams, which are usually about 50 meters long

and 2 to 4 meters high. Unlike larger dams, which

usually are used for hydroelectric power, these

smaller structures are designed to store water during

the wet season so dry communities have a water reservoir

when the rain stops. These dams, which store water buried in silt,

do a better job than surface water dams of keeping water from

evaporating and maintaining water quality. 

REDRIDGE STEEL DAM

Redridge, Michigan–Salmon Trout River.

Located in Houghton County, Mich., this flat slab buttress

dam is one of only three steel dams in the United States.

Built in 1894, the dam's spillway broke in 1941 and

was partially repaired in 2001.