Chirkey Dam, Hydroelectric power station in Dagestan, Russia
Chirkey Dam is a hydroelectric facility on the Sulak River in Dagestan that spans 338 meters with an arch wall holding back the reservoir on one side. The structure rises to 232.5 meters and tapers from a base width of 30 meters to 6 meters at the crest.
Construction began in 1964, and the first generator went online in 1974. Two years later, all four turbines were installed and have been supplying the region with electricity ever since.
The development of this power station required the relocation of an entire village to a new settlement approximately four kilometers east at a higher elevation.
Access to the dam itself is usually restricted because it is an active energy facility. Visitors can view the structure from the riverbank or nearby observation points, though.
The dam stands at a point where the Sulak River runs through a deep gorge, providing a natural bottleneck for construction. The reservoir behind it reaches depths of up to 200 meters and forms the largest water storage site in the North Caucasus.
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