World's Highest Dams
Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
Table of contents
| Name | River, location | Structural height | Gross reservoir capacity | Year completed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ft | m | Thousands of ac ft | Millions of cu m | |||
| Rogun | Vakhsh, Tajikistan | 1,099 | 335 | 9,404 | 11,600 | 1985 |
| Nurek | Vakhsh, Tajikistan | 984 | 300 | 8,512 | 10,500 | 1980 |
| Xiaowan | Lancang, China | 958 | 292 | 12,161 | 15,000 | UC |
| Grande Dixence | Dixence, Switzerland | 935 | 285 | 324 | 400 | 1962 |
| Inguri | Inguri, Georgia | 892 | 272 | 801 | 1,100 | 1984 |
| Vaiont | Vaiont, Italy | 859 | 262 | 137 | 169 | 1961 |
| Manuel M. Torres | Grijalva, Mexico | 856 | 261 | 1,346 | 1,660 | 1981 |
| Tehri | Bhagirathi, India | 856 | 261 | 2,869 | 3,540 | UC |
| Álvaro Obregón | Mextiquic, Mexico | 853 | 260 | n.a. | n.a. | 1926 |
| Mauvoisin | Drance de Bagnes, Switzerland | 820 | 250 | 146 | 180 | 1957 |
| Alberto Lleras | Orinoco, Colombia | 797 | 243 | 811 | 1,000 | 1989 |
| Mica | British Columbia, Canada | 797 | 243 | 20,000 | 24,670 | 1972 |
| Sayano-Shushenskaya | Yenisei, Russia | 794 | 242 | 25,353 | 31,300 | 1980 |
| Ertan | Yangtze/Yalong, China | 787 | 240 | 4,702 | 5,800 | 1999 |
| La Esmeralda | Batá, Colombia | 778 | 237 | 661 | 815 | 1975 |
| Kishau | Tons, India | 774 | 236 | 1,946 | 2,400 | 1985 |
| Oroville | Feather, Calif., U.S. | 770 | 235 | 3,538 | 4,299 | 1968 |
| El Cajón | Humuya, Honduras | 768 | 234 | 4,580 | 5,650 | 1984 |
| Chirkey | Sulak, Russia | 764 | 233 | 2,252 | 2,780 | 1977 |
| Shuibuya | Qingjiang, China | 764 | 233 | 3,713 | 4,580 | UC |
| Bhakra | Sutlej, India | 741 | 226 | 8,002 | 9,870 | 1963 |
| Luzzone | Brenno di Luzzone, Switzerland | 738 | 225 | 71 | 87 | 1963 |
| Hoover | Colorado, Ariz.-Nev., U.S. | 732 | 223 | 28,500 | 35,154 | 1936 |
| Karun-4 | Karun, Iran | 728 | 222 | 1,880 | 2,320 | UC |
| Contra | Verzasca, Switzerland | 722 | 220 | 70 | 86 | 1965 |
| Mratinje | Piva, Herzegovina | 722 | 220 | 713 | 880 | 1973 |
| Dworshak | North Fork Clearwater, Idaho, U.S. | 717 | 219 | 3,453 | 4,259 | 1974 |
| Glen Canyon | Colorado, Ariz., U.S. | 710 | 216 | 27,000 | 33,304 | 1964 |
| Toktogul | Naryn, Kyrgyzstan | 705 | 215 | 15,800 | 19,500 | 1978 |
| Daniel Johnson | Manicouagan, Canada | 703 | 214 | 115,000 | 141,852 | 1968 |
| Keban | Firat, Turkey | 689 | 210 | 25,110 | 31,000 | 1974 |
| Zimapan | Moctezuma, Mexico | 679 | 207 | n.a. | n.a. | 1994 |
| Karun-3 | Karun, Iran | 673 | 205 | 2,351 | 2,900 | 1976 |
| Lakhwar | Yamuna, India | 669 | 204 | 470 | 580 | 1985 |
| Dez | Dez, Abi, Iran | 666 | 203 | 2,707 | 3,340 | 1963 |
| Almendra | Tormes, Spain | 662 | 202 | 2,148 | 2,649 | 1970 |
| Berke | Ceyhan, Turkey | 659 | 201 | n.a. | n.a. | 2000 |
| Khudoni | Inguri, Georgia | 659 | 201 | n.a. | n.a. | n.a. |
| Kölnbrein | Malta, Austria | 656 | 200 | 166 | 205 | 1977 |
| Altinkaya | Kizil Irmak, Turkey | 640 | 195 | 4,672 | 5,763 | 1986 |
| New Bullards Bar | No. Yuba, Calif., U.S. | 637 | 194 | 960 | 1,184 | 1968 |
| New Melones | Stanislaus, Calif., U.S. | 625 | 191 | 2,400 | 2,960 | 1979 |
| Itaipu | Paraná, Brazil/Paraguay | 623 | 190 | 23,510 | 29,000 | 1982 |
| Kurobe 4 | Kurobe, Japan | 610 | 186 | 162 | 199 | 1964 |
| Swift | Lewis, Wash., U.S. | 610 | 186 | 756 | 932 | 1958 |
| Mossyrock | Cowlitz, Wash., U.S. | 607 | 185 | 1,300 | 1,603 | 1968 |
| Oymopinar | Manavgat, Turkey | 607 | 185 | 251 | 310 | 1983 |
| Atatürk | Firat, Turkey | 604 | 184 | 39,482 | 48,700 | 1990 |
| Shasta | Sacramento, Calif., U.S. | 602 | 183 | 4,550 | 5,612 | 1945 |
| Bennett WAC | Peace, Canada | 600 | 183 | 57,006 | 70,309 | 1967 |
| Karakaya | Firat, Turkey | 591 | 180 | 7,767 | 9,580 | 1986 |
| Tignes | Isère, France | 591 | 180 | 186 | 230 | 1952 |
| Amir Kabir (Karad) | Karadj, Iran | 591 | 180 | 166 | 205 | 1962 |
| Tachien | Tachia, Taiwan | 591 | 180 | 188 | 232 | 1974 |
| Dartmouth | Mitta-Mitta, Australia | 591 | 180 | 3,243 | 4,000 | 1978 |
| Özköy | Gediz, Turkey | 591 | 180 | 762 | 940 | 1983 |
| Emosson | Barberine, Switzerland | 590 | 180 | 184 | 225 | 1974 |
| Zillergrundl | Ziller, Austria | 590 | 180 | 73 | 90 | 1986 |
| Los Leones | Los Leones, Chile | 587 | 179 | 86 | 106 | 1986 |
| New Don Pedro | Tuolumne, Calif., U.S. | 585 | 178 | 2,030 | 2,504 | 1971 |
| Alpa-Gera | Cormor, Italy | 584 | 178 | 53 | 65 | 1965 |
| Kopperston Tailings 3 | Jones Branch, W. Va., U.S. | 580 | 177 | — | — | 1963 |
| Takase | Takase, Japan | 577 | 176 | 62 | 76 | 1979 |
| Nader Shah | Marun, Iran | 574 | 175 | 1,313 | 1,620 | 1978 |
| Hasan Ugurlu | Yesil Irmak, Turkey | 574 | 175 | 874 | 1,078 | 1980 |
| Revelstoke | Columbia, B.C., Canada | 574 | 175 | 4,298 | 5,300 | 1984 |
| Hungry Horse | S.Fk., Flathead, Mont., U.S. | 564 | 172 | 3,470 | 4,280 | 1953 |
| Longyangxia | Huanghe, China | 564 | 172 | 20,025 | 24,700 | 1983 |
| Cabora Bassa | Zambezi, Mozambique | 561 | 171 | 51,075 | 63,000 | 1974 |
| Maqarin | Yarmuk, Jordan | 561 | 171 | 259 | 320 | 1987 |
| Amaluza | Paute, Ecuador | 558 | 170 | 81 | 100 | 1982 |
| Idikki | Periyar, India | 554 | 169 | 1,618 | 1,996 | 1974 |
| Charvak | Chirchik, Uzbekistan | 552 | 168 | 1,620 | 2,000 | 1970 |
| Gura Apelor Retezat | Riul Mare, Romania | 552 | 168 | 182 | 225 | 1980 |
| Grand Coulee | Columbia, Washington | 550 | 168 | 9,390 | 11,582 | 1942 |
| Boruca | Terraba, Costa Rica | 548 | 167 | 12,128 | 14,960 | UC |
| Vidraru | Arges, Romania | 545 | 166 | 380 | 465 | 1965 |
| Kremasta (King Paul) | Achelöus, Greece | 541 | 165 | 3,850 | 4,750 | 1965 |
| Pauti-Mazar | Mazar, Ecuador | 541 | 165 | 405 | 500 | 1984 |
NOTES: UC = under construction in 2005. n.a. = not available.
Sources: International Commission on Large Dams,World Register of Dams 2003, and other sources.
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