A reservoir is a man made lake created by the construction of a dam on a river, the purpose of which is to collect water for agricultural, industrial, and domestic use It is also used to produce hydroelectricity, to control flooding, and to supply drinking water. The water is held in the reservoir until it is needed for downstream use. Depending on their location and size, reservoirs can also be used to regulate water levels in wetlands, create recreational opportunities, and absorb storm water runoff.
The five best examples of reservoirs are:
1. International Three Gorges Dam, China: This reservoir, located on the Yangtze River, is the largest in the world. It is designed to control floods, generate hydroelectricity, and support navigation and irrigation. The dam is a massive structure made of concrete, measuring over 6,600 feet wide and over 600 feet high.
2. Guri Dam, Venezuela: Guri is the second largest reservoir in the world and is located on the Caroni River. Its purpose is to generate hydroelectricity, and it supplies around 70 percent of Venezuela’s electrical power.
3. Lake Volta, Ghana: This reservoir is the largest in Africa and the fourth largest in the world. It was created by the Akosombo Dam on the Volta River with the main purpose of generating hydroelectricity. The lake has a surface area of about 8,500 square kilometers and a shoreline of about 1,100 kilometers.
4. Krasnoyarsk Reservoir, Russia: This large reservoir is located on the Yenisei River and was created in 1971. Its purpose is to generate hydroelectricity and support navigation and irrigation. It is the fourth largest reservoir in the world and covers an area of almost 3,400 square kilometers.
5. Tehri Dam, India: The Tehri Dam is situated on the Bhagirathi River in Uttarakhand, India. It is a multi-purpose project with the main goals of generating hydroelectricity, controlling floods, and irrigating local fields. The dam is over 1,000 feet high and is one of the tallest dams in the world.