| Zipingpu Dam | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Location of Zipingpu Dam in China | |
| Coordinates | 31°02′07″N103°34′26″E / 31.03528°N 103.57389°E /31.03528; 103.57389 |
| Construction began | March 2001 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Embankment, concrete-face rock-fill |
| Impounds | Min River |
| Height | 156 metres (512 ft) |
| Length | 663 m (2,175 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Zipingpu Reservoir |
| Total capacity | 1,120,000,000 cubic metres (907,999 acre⋅ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 760MW |
Zipingpu Dam (紫坪铺水利枢纽) is anembankment dam on theMin River near the city ofDujiangyan, Sichuan Province[1] insouthwest China. It consists of fourgenerators with a total generating capacity of 760MW.[2] Construction began in 2001 and was finished in late 2006. The dam site was originally developed during theShu-Han nearly 2000 years ago.
The traditionalDujiangyan Irrigation System consisting of canals,levees, and dams, has been in use since 256 BC.[3]
The7.9 magnitude quake on May 12, 2008 caused some damage to the dam, with its wall being cracked and fissured. The reservoir had to be gradually drained to permit consolidation works.[4][5]
The reservoir is located just a few kilometers from the 2008 earthquake epicenter, and just a few hundred meters from the fault. Some geologists hypothesized that the loading and unloading of thecrust below the reservoir caused by changes in the water level may have somehow acted as a trigger to the earthquake. However, this hypothesis has not been demonstrated.[6][7][8]
