Fanshawe Dam is a dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 located on the eastern edge of London, Ontario

London, Ontario

London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

. The crest of the dam is 625 metres long. It is 30.5 metres in height and drops the river surface 12 metres. Fanshawe Lake

Fanshawe Lake

Fanshawe Lake, is a small man-made lake east of London, Ontario. It is fed by the Thames River from the north, and is separated from the river to the southwest by Fanshawe Dam....

 is the reservoir created by the dam.
The hydroelectric generator of the Fanshawe Dam generates enough power to run 400 households.
It is one of three dams on the Thames River.
After repeated floods, the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority is a body based in London, Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1947. It was responsible for the construction of the Fanshawe Dam, completed in the 1950s, to control flooding from the Thames River, which runs through London. During the last ice age, the...

 built the dam to control the level of the Thames River

Thames River (Ontario)

The Thames River is located in southwestern Ontario, Canada.The Thames flows west through southwestern Ontario, through the cities of Woodstock, London and Chatham to Lighthouse Cove on Lake St. Clair...

; construction began in 1950 and completed in 1952.
It cost $5 million - Federal government 37.5%, Provincial government 37.5%, Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

Upper Thames River Conservation Authority

The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority is a body based in London, Ontario, Canada. It was created in 1947. It was responsible for the construction of the Fanshawe Dam, completed in the 1950s, to control flooding from the Thames River, which runs through London. During the last ice age, the...

 25% (95% from City of London, Ontario

London, Ontario

London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...

, 5% from London Township).
A seismograph is placed inside the dam by the University of Western Ontario

University of Western Ontario

The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...

’s geology department.

See also

• List of reservoirs and dams in Canada
• Pittock Dam
  Pittock Dam
  The Pittock Dam is a dam in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. It lies on the south branch of the Thames River , and creates the Pittock Reservoir. This artificial lake forms the northeast boundary of the City of Woodstock....
  
   (Thames River)
• Wildwood Dam
  Wildwood Dam
  Wildwood Dam is a dam located on Trout Creek, upstream of the Town of St. Marys, Ontario.Wildwood Dam is designed for flood control and flow augmentation purposes....
  
  (Thames River)