What dam holds the most water?

The largest dam by water storage capacity: Kariba Dam (Zimbabwe) Located at the former Kariba Gorge, the dam creates Lake Kariba – with a storage capacity of 185 billion cubic meters of water and a surface area of 5,580 square kilometers. This massive dam is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.



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Today, the Hoover Dam is the second highest dam in the country and the 18th highest in the world. It generates more than four billion kilowatt-hours a year -- that's enough to serve 1.3 million people! Here's how this dam stacks up against some of the biggest dams in the world.

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The oldest operational dam in the world, the Lake Homs Dam in Syria, was built around 1300. The masonry gravity dam is over one mile long, 23 feet high, and creates Lake Homs, which still supplies water to the people of Homs today.

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A study by the World Commission on Dams placed China's large dam total at over 22,000-the most in the world. Large dams are those roughly four stories or taller. Most of China's were built after 1949.

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Hoover Dam was built for a cost of $49 million (approximately $760 million adjusted for inflation). The power plant and generators cost an additional $71 million. The sale of electrical power generated by the dam paid back its construction cost, with interest, by 1987.

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While there is no door in the middle of the dam, there are several access points and tunnels that allow workers and maintenance crews to access different parts of the structure. It is an important part of the dam's infrastructure, ensuring that it can continue to function properly and safely for many years to come.

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