Kuhrang-1 Dam

Kuhrang-1 Dam is a gravity structure built across the Kouhrang River southwest of Chelgard in Chaharmahal Province. It operates as a concrete installation with modest proportions, serving as part of a larger water management system that spans multiple connected facilities.

Construction started in 1948 under supervision by Alexander Gibb and implemented water transfer plans with roots going back to the Shah Abbas I era. This project represented the realization of centuries-old ideas about redirecting water across the mountain range.

The Bakhtiari communities who live in the area maintain their traditions and actively manage the local water resources that support their region. Their daily life is closely tied to the water systems that flow through the Zagros region.

The dam redirects water through an underground tunnel system to supply distant urban areas from the mountain region. Visiting is most comfortable outside the intense summer heat, when access to the site is easier and more manageable.

It is just one part of a three-dam complex including Kuhrang-2 and Kuhrang-3 that function as an integrated network. Together they connect the water-rich mountain terrain with distant drier plains where water is scarce.