List of reservoirs by volume

The classification of a reservoir by volume is not as straight forward as it may seem. As the name implies, water is held in reserve by a reservoir so it can serve a purpose. For example, in Thailand, reservoirs tend to store water from the wet season to prevent flooding, then releases it during the dry season for farmers to grow rice. For this type of reservoir, almost the entire volume of the reservoir functions for the purpose it was built. Hydroelectric power generation, on the other hand, requires many dams to build up a large volume before operation can begin. For this type of reservoir only a small portion of the water held behind the dam is useful. Therefore, knowing the purpose a reservoir has been constructed, and knowing how much water can be used for that purpose helps determine how much water is in possible reserve.

Terminology

The following terms are used in connection with the volume of reservoirs:

Nominal Volume or Capacity is the total volume of all water held behind a dam at the maximum level possible.

Initial or Design Volume refers to the possible volume within the reservoir after it first opens. Many rivers are high in silt that over time deposits behind a dam reducing capacity.

Active or Live volume equals the total capacity minus the dead pool volume. This is the volume that can serve some downstream purpose. For example, it is the volume available to make hydroelectric power or provide drinking water to a city.

Dead pool or Minimum volume refers to the amount of water left in a reservoir that cannot be used for the general purpose the reservoir was constructed. At this state, the reservoir is termed fully drawn down. For example, if built to supply water in the dry season, it is the water left behind when no more water can be extracted. Frequently, the effective minimum volume is greater if the water is needed for a purpose behind a dam.

Available capacity may require knowing the reservoir's primary purpose. If it is designed to prevent flooding, it may be the volume of water that can be retained before reaching maximum or top water.

Actual or Current when coupled with another term reflects the fact the level behind the dam is not constant.

Expanded versus artificial lakes

The list below largely ignores many natural lakes that have been augmented with the addition of a relatively minor dam. For example, a small dam, two hydroelectric plants, and locks on the outlet of Lake Superior enable man to control the lake level. Certainly, the great majority of the lake is natural. However, the control of water that can be held in reserve means a portion of the vast lake functions as a reservoir.

Recognition of lakes like Lake Superior greatly changes the list below. For example, the Francis H. Clergue Generating Station and Saint Marys Falls Hydropower Plant, which are both on the lake's outlet, operate with just 5.9 meters total head. This is short compared to other dams. However, when viewed against the 81,200 km2 area of the lake, even a small range in Lake Superior's means its active volume is greater than the largest nominal in the table below.

List

Rank Name of dam Reservoir River Country Year Nominal volume km³ Ref.
1 Kariba Dam Lake Kariba Zambezi River  Zambia and  Zimbabwe 1959 180.6 ,[1] 160.3[2]
2 Bratsk Dam Bratsk Reservoir Angara River  Russia 1964 169 ,[1] 169.3[2]
3 Akosombo Dam Lake Volta Volta River  Ghana 1965 150 ,[1] 148[2]
4 Daniel-Johnson Dam Manicouagan Reservoir Manicouagan River  Canada 1968 141.851 ,[1] 141.7[2]
5 Guri Dam Lake Guri Caroní River  Venezuela 1986 135 [1]
6 Aswan High Dam Lake Nasser Nile River  Egypt 1971 132 [3]
7 W. A. C. Bennett Dam Williston Lake Peace River  Canada 1967 74.3 [1]
8 Krasnoyarsk Dam Krasnoyarsk Reservoir (ru) Yenisei River  Russia 1967 73.3 [1][2]
9 Zeya Hydroelectric Station (ru) Zeya Reservoir Zeya River  Russia 1978 68.4 [1][2]
10 Robert-Bourassa generating station Robert-Bourassa Reservoir La Grande River  Canada 1981 61.715 [1]
11 La Grande-3 generating station La Grande-3 Nord Reservoir La Grande River  Canada 1981 60.02 [1]
12 Ust-Ilimsk Dam Ust-Ilimsk Reservoir Angara River  Russia 1977 59.3 [1][2]
13 Boguchany Dam Boguchany Reservoir Angara River  Russia 1989 58.2 [1]
14 Zhiguli Hydroelectric Station Kuybyshev Reservoir Volga River  Russia 1955 58 [1][2]
15 Cahora Bassa Dam Cahora Bassa Zambezi River  Mozambique 1974 55.8 [1]
16 Serra da Mesa Dam Serra da Mesa Reservoir Tocantins River  Brazil 1998 54.4 [4]
17 Brisay generating station Caniapiscau Reservoir Caniapiscau River  Canada 1981 53.8 [1]
18 Pati–Chapetón(proposal) Paraná River  Argentina ? 53.7 [1]
19 Bukhtarma Hydroelectric Power Plant Bukhtarma Reservoir (ru) Irtysh River  Kazakhstan 1967 53 [1][2]
20 Danjiangkou Dam Danjiangkou ReservoirHan River (Yangtze River tributary)  People's Republic of China 1962 51.6 [1]
21 Atatürk Dam Lake Atatürk Dam Euphrates  Turkey 1992 48.7 [1]
22 Irkutsk Dam Irkutsk Reservoir Angara River  Russia 1956 46 [1]
23 Tucuruí Dam Tocantins River  Brazil 1984 45.536 [1]
24 Loma de la Lata Dam? (Cerros Colorados Complex) Los Barreales Lake? Neuquén River  Argentina 1973 43.5 [1]
25 Planicie Banderita hydroelectric power plant (Cerros Colorados Complex) Mari Menuco Lake? Neuquén River  Argentina 1979 43 [1]
26 Three Gorges Dam Three Gorges Reservoir Yangtze River  People's Republic of China 2009 39.3 [1]
27 Hoover Dam Lake Mead Colorado River  United States 1936 37.2968 [1]
28 Winar Grue?  Canada 1952 37 [1]
29 Roseires Dam Roseires Reservoir Blue Nile  Sudan 1966 36.3 [1]
30 Vilyuy Dam (ru) Vilyuy Reservoir (ru) Vilyuy River  Russia 1967 35.9 [1]
31 Glen Canyon Dam Lake Powell Colorado River  United States 1964 35.55019 [1]
32 Kenney Dam Nechako Reservoir Nechako–Kemano  Canada 1966 35 [1]
33 Sobradinho Dam Sobradinho Reservoir São Francisco River  Brazil 1979 34.1 [1]
34 Churchill Falls Smallwood Reservoir Churchill River  Canada 1971 32.64 [1]
35 Jenpeg Dam Lake Winnipeg outlet  Canada 1975 31.79 [1]
36 Keban Dam Keban Dam Lake Euphrates  Turkey 1971 31.5 [1]
37 Volga Hydroelectric Station Volgograd Reservoir Volga River  Russia 1958 31.5 [1]
38 Sayano–Shushenskaya Dam Sayano–Shushenskoye Reservoir (ru) Yenisei River  Russia 1990 31.3 [1]
39 Garrison Dam Lake Sakakawea Missouri River  United States 1953 30.22031 [1]
40 Kossou Dam Lake Kossou Bandama River  Ivory Coast 1961 30 [1]
41 Iroquois Dam St. Lawrence River  Canada 1958 29.95901 [1]
42 Oahe Dam Lake Oahe Missouri River  United States 1966 29.11018 [1]
43 Itaipu Dam Lake Itaipu (pt) Paraná River  Brazil and  Paraguay 1983 29 [1]
44 Sanmenxia Dam Sanmenxia Reservoir Yellow River  People's Republic of China 1962 16.2 [1][2]
45 Minghachevir Power Plant Minghachevir Reservoir Kura River  Azerbaijan 1953 15.73

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 B. F. Chao; Y. H. Wu; Y. S. Li (2008). "Impact of Artificial Reservoir Water Impoundment on Global Sea Level". Science. 320 (5): 212–214. doi:10.1126/science.1154580. PMID 18339903. Compiles a database of world dams using the International Commission on Large Dams database.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Avakyan AB & Ovchinnikova SP (1971). "Foreign experience and techniques". Hydrotechnical Construction. 5 (8): 773–777. doi:10.1007/BF02403626.
  3. ↑ http://www.water-technology.net/projects/aswan-high-dam-nile-sudan-egypt/
  4. ↑ "Hydroelectric Power DA SERRA MESA (1.275MW)" (in Portuguese). Eletrobras Furnas. Retrieved 18 September 2010.
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