Karun
Encyclopedia
The Kārun is Iran
's most effluent, and the only navigable, river
. It is 450 miles (720 km) long. It rises in the Zard Kuh
mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as the Dez
and the Kuhrang, before passing through the capital of the Khuzestan Province
of Iran, the city of Ahwaz.
The Karun continues toward the Persian Gulf
, forking into two primary branches on its delta
: the Bahmanshir
and the Haffar
that joins the Shatt al-Arab (Arvand Rud in Persian
), emptying into the Persian Gulf. The important Island of Abadan
is located between these two branches of the Karun. The port city of Khorramshahr
is divided from the Island of Abadan by the Haffar branch.
In the Biblical tradition, Karun is to be identified with Pishon
, one of the four rivers of Eden
/Paradise
. The others being Tigris
, Euphrates
and the Karkheh ("Gihon
" of the Biblical story). In the early classical times, Karun was known as the Pasitigris
, which may be pointing etymologically to the source of the Biblical name, Pishon
. The modern medieval and modern name, Karun, is a corruption of the name, Kuhrang which is still maintained by one of the two primary tributaries of the Karun.
of western Iran, on the slopes of 14921 feet (4,547.9 m) Zard-Kuh. The river flows south and west through several prominent mountain ridges, and receives additional water from the Vanak on the south bank and the Bazuft on the north. These tributaries add to the catchment of the river above the Karun-4 Dam
. Downstream 25 kilometres (15.5 mi), the Karun widens into the reservoir formed by the Karun-3 Dam
. The Khersan flows into an arm of the reservoir from the southeast. The river passes through this reservoir and flows through a narrow canyon, now in a northwest direction, past Izeh
, eventually winding into the Sussan Plain. The Karun then turns north into the reservoir of Shahid Abbaspour Dam
(Karun-1), which floods the river's defile to the southwest. The Karun flows southwest into the impoundment of Masjed Soleyman Dam
, then turns northwest. Finally, it leaves the foothills and flows south past Shushtar
and its confluence with the Dez
. It then bends southwest and bisects the city of Ahvaz
, and south through farmland to its mouth on the Shatt Al-Arab river at Khorramshahr
, where its water, together with that of the Tigris
and Euphrates
, turns sharply southwest to flow to the Persian Gulf
.
, with over 1.3 million inhabitants. Other important cities include Shushtar
, Khorramshahr
(a port), Masjed-Soleyman, and Izeh
.
Much of Khuzestan's transport and resources are connected in one way or another to the Karun. Since the British
first discovered oil at Masjed-Soleyman, the Karun has been an important route for the transport of petroleum to the Persian Gulf, and remains an important commercial waterway.
Water from the Karun provides irrigation
to over 280000 hectares (691,894.5 acre) of the surrounding plain and a further 100000 hectares (247,105.2 acre) are planned to receive water.
ite civilization which rose about 2,700 B.C. In several points in history, Mesopotamia
n civilizations such as Ur
and Babylon
overthrew the Elamites and gained control of the Karun and its surroundings in modern Khuzestan. However, the Elam empire lasted until about 640 B.C., when the Assyria
ns overran it. The city of Susa
, near the modern city of Shush
between the Dez and Karkheh rivers, was one of their largest before it was destroyed by the invaders.
The first known major bridge across the river was built by the Roman
captives that included its emperor Valerian
, whence the name of the bridge and dam Band-e Kaisar, "Caesar
's dam"--at Shushtar
(3rd century AD).
In two of several competing theories about the origins and location of the Garden of Eden
the Karun is presumed to be the Gihon River
that is described in the Biblical book of Genesis. The strongest of these theories propounded by archaeologist Juris Zarins
places the Garden of Eden at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf
, fed by the four rivers Tigris
, Euphrates
, Gihon
Karun and Pishon
(Wadi Al-Batin).
The name of the river is derived from the mountain peak, Kuhrang, that serves as its source.
Famous silent film documentary Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life
(1925) tells the story of Bakhtiari tribe crossing this river with 50,000 people and 500,000 animals.
It was here during the Iran–Iraq War that the Iranians stopped the early Iraqi advance. With its limited military stocks, Iran unveiled its "human wave" assaults which used thousands of Basij
(Popular Mobilization Army or People's Army) volunteers.
In September 2009, three districts of Basra
province in southern Iraq were declared disaster areas as a result of Iran's construction of new dams on the Karun. The new dams resulted in high levels of salinity in the Shatt Al-Arab, which destroyed farm areas and threatened livestock. Civilians in the area were forced to evacuate.
There are a number of dams on the Karun River, mainly built to generate hydroelectric power and provide flood control
. Gotvand Dam, Masjed Soleyman Dam
, Karun-1 (Shahid Abbaspour Dam
), Karun-3, and Karun-4, most owned by Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co., all are on the main stem. Karun-2 would potentially be located in the Sussan Plain between Shahid Abbaspour and Karun-3, but because of fear of submerging archaeological sites, the project is still under consideration. A Karun-5 dam upstream of Karun-4 has also been proposed. The Masjed Soleyman, Shahid Abbaspour, and Karun-3 dams each generate 1,000-2,000 MW of power to service the peaking power sector of Iran's electricity grid, and when completed, Karun-4 will also generate 1,000 MW. There are also many dams on the river's tributaries. Dez Dam
, Bakhtiari Dam
(under construction) and Khersan 3 Dam (under construction) are among them. Proposed are Khersan 1, Khersan 2, Zalaki, Liro, Roudbar Lorestan, Bazoft, and others. The dams on the Karun have had a significant effect on the sediment
transport and the ecology of the river, and have required the relocation of thousands of residents.
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
's most effluent, and the only navigable, river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
. It is 450 miles (720 km) long. It rises in the Zard Kuh
Zard Kuh
Zard Kuh is a mountain in the central Zagros Range, Iran....
mountains of the Bakhtiari district in the Zagros Range, receiving many tributaries, such as the Dez
Dez River
The Dez River , the ancient Coprates , is a tributary of the Karun River and is 400 km long. It is the site of the Dez Dam.It is believed that a fortress protected a strategic bridge across the river at Dezful, whence the name, although no trace of this castle remains. The old part of the city...
and the Kuhrang, before passing through the capital of the Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province
Khuzestan Province is one of the 31 provinces of Iran. It is in the southwest of the country, bordering Iraq's Basra Province and the Persian Gulf. Its capital is Ahwaz and covers an area of 63,238 km²...
of Iran, the city of Ahwaz.
The Karun continues toward the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, forking into two primary branches on its delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
: the Bahmanshir
Bahmanshir
The Bahmanshir channel is a secondary estuary of the Karun River that parallels the Arvand Rud/Shatt al-Arab waterway on the far side of the Abadan Island for 70 miles, emptying into the Persian Gulf....
and the Haffar
Haffar
During the early Islamic centuries, the Daylamite Buwayhid king, Panah Khusraw Adud ad-Dawlah, ordered the digging of a canal to join the Karun River, which at the time emptied independently into the Persian Gulf through the Bahmanshir channel, to the Arvand Rud/Shatt al-Arab waterway, the joint...
that joins the Shatt al-Arab (Arvand Rud in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
), emptying into the Persian Gulf. The important Island of Abadan
Abadan
Abadan is a city in and the capital of Abadan County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. It lies on Abadan Island , from the Persian Gulf, near the Iraqi-Iran border. The civilian population of the city dropped to near zero during the eight-years Iran–Iraq War. In 1992, only 84,774 had returned to live...
is located between these two branches of the Karun. The port city of Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr is a city in and the capital of Khorramshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 123,866, in 26,385 families.Khorramshahr is a port city located approximately north of Abadan...
is divided from the Island of Abadan by the Haffar branch.
In the Biblical tradition, Karun is to be identified with Pishon
Pishon
The Pishon is one of four rivers mentioned in the Biblical Genesis. In that passage, these rivers are described as arising within the Garden of Eden...
, one of the four rivers of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
/Paradise
Paradise
Paradise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
. The others being Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
, Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
and the Karkheh ("Gihon
Gihon
Gihon is the name of the second river mentioned in the second chapter of the biblical Book of Genesis. The Gihon is mentioned as one of four rivers issuing out of the Garden of Eden that branched from a single river within the garden. The name may be interpreted as "Bursting Forth, Gushing"...
" of the Biblical story). In the early classical times, Karun was known as the Pasitigris
Pasitigris
The classical and late classical name for the Karun river--one of the four rivers of Paradise or the Biblical Eden. The Old Testament maintains the four rivers to have been, the Euphrates, the Tigris, the Gihon and the Pishon....
, which may be pointing etymologically to the source of the Biblical name, Pishon
Pishon
The Pishon is one of four rivers mentioned in the Biblical Genesis. In that passage, these rivers are described as arising within the Garden of Eden...
. The modern medieval and modern name, Karun, is a corruption of the name, Kuhrang which is still maintained by one of the two primary tributaries of the Karun.
Course
It originates in the Zagros MountainsZagros Mountains
The Zagros Mountains are the largest mountain range in Iran and Iraq. With a total length of 1,500 km , from northwestern Iran, and roughly correlating with Iran's western border, the Zagros range spans the whole length of the western and southwestern Iranian plateau and ends at the Strait of...
of western Iran, on the slopes of 14921 feet (4,547.9 m) Zard-Kuh. The river flows south and west through several prominent mountain ridges, and receives additional water from the Vanak on the south bank and the Bazuft on the north. These tributaries add to the catchment of the river above the Karun-4 Dam
Karun-4 dam
The Karun-4 Dam is an arch dam on the Karun River in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran. The Karun has the highest discharge of Iran's rivers. The objectives of the construction of Karun-4 dam and hydroelectric power plant are electric power supply and flood control.The dam is a...
. Downstream 25 kilometres (15.5 mi), the Karun widens into the reservoir formed by the Karun-3 Dam
Karun-3 dam
The Karun-3 dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Karun river in the province of Khuzestan, Iran. It was built to help meet Iran's energy demands as well as to provide flood control. The Karun has the highest discharge of Iran's rivers....
. The Khersan flows into an arm of the reservoir from the southeast. The river passes through this reservoir and flows through a narrow canyon, now in a northwest direction, past Izeh
Izeh
Izeh is a city in and the capital of Izeh County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 103,695, in 20,127 families....
, eventually winding into the Sussan Plain. The Karun then turns north into the reservoir of Shahid Abbaspour Dam
Shahid Abbaspour dam
The Shahid Abbaspour Dam is a large arch dam providing hydroelectricity from the Karun River; it is located about northeast of Masjed Soleiman, in the province of Khuzestan, Iran, and originally completed in 1976, and formerly named "Reza Shah Kabir Dam"...
(Karun-1), which floods the river's defile to the southwest. The Karun flows southwest into the impoundment of Masjed Soleyman Dam
Masjed Soleyman Dam
The Masjed Soleyman Dam previously named "Godar-e Landar" is a dam in Iran on the Karun river. It is about high and generates 2,000 MW of power, and its reservoir holds of water. The dam is a rockfill structure with a clay core built for the Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co. The dam...
, then turns northwest. Finally, it leaves the foothills and flows south past Shushtar
Shushtar
-External links:** Hamid-Reza Hosseini, Shush at the foot of Louvre , in Persian, Jadid Online, 10 March 2009, .Audio slideshow: .* .* * , PressTV, 13 June 2010....
and its confluence with the Dez
Dez River
The Dez River , the ancient Coprates , is a tributary of the Karun River and is 400 km long. It is the site of the Dez Dam.It is believed that a fortress protected a strategic bridge across the river at Dezful, whence the name, although no trace of this castle remains. The old part of the city...
. It then bends southwest and bisects the city of Ahvaz
Ahvaz
-History:For a more comprehensive historical treatment of the area, see the history section of Khūzestān Province.-Ancient history:Ahvaz is the anagram of "Avaz" and "Avaja" which appear in Darius's epigraph...
, and south through farmland to its mouth on the Shatt Al-Arab river at Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr is a city in and the capital of Khorramshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 123,866, in 26,385 families.Khorramshahr is a port city located approximately north of Abadan...
, where its water, together with that of the Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
and Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
, turns sharply southwest to flow to the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
.
Basin
The largest river by discharge in Iran, the Karun River's watershed covers 65230 square kilometre in parts of two Iranian provinces. The river is around 950 kilometres (590.3 mi) long and has an average discharge of 575 m3/s. The largest city on the river is AhvazAhvaz
-History:For a more comprehensive historical treatment of the area, see the history section of Khūzestān Province.-Ancient history:Ahvaz is the anagram of "Avaz" and "Avaja" which appear in Darius's epigraph...
, with over 1.3 million inhabitants. Other important cities include Shushtar
Shushtar
-External links:** Hamid-Reza Hosseini, Shush at the foot of Louvre , in Persian, Jadid Online, 10 March 2009, .Audio slideshow: .* .* * , PressTV, 13 June 2010....
, Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr
Khorramshahr is a city in and the capital of Khorramshahr County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 123,866, in 26,385 families.Khorramshahr is a port city located approximately north of Abadan...
(a port), Masjed-Soleyman, and Izeh
Izeh
Izeh is a city in and the capital of Izeh County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 103,695, in 20,127 families....
.
Much of Khuzestan's transport and resources are connected in one way or another to the Karun. Since the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
first discovered oil at Masjed-Soleyman, the Karun has been an important route for the transport of petroleum to the Persian Gulf, and remains an important commercial waterway.
Water from the Karun provides irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
to over 280000 hectares (691,894.5 acre) of the surrounding plain and a further 100000 hectares (247,105.2 acre) are planned to receive water.
History
The Karun River valley was once inhabited by the ElamElam
Elam was an ancient civilization located in what is now southwest Iran. Elam was centered in the far west and the southwest of modern-day Iran, stretching from the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province, as well as a small part of southern Iraq...
ite civilization which rose about 2,700 B.C. In several points in history, Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
n civilizations such as Ur
Ur
Ur was an important city-state in ancient Sumer located at the site of modern Tell el-Muqayyar in Iraq's Dhi Qar Governorate...
and Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
overthrew the Elamites and gained control of the Karun and its surroundings in modern Khuzestan. However, the Elam empire lasted until about 640 B.C., when the Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
ns overran it. The city of Susa
Susa
Susa was an ancient city of the Elamite, Persian and Parthian empires of Iran. It is located in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris River, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers....
, near the modern city of Shush
Shush, Iran
Shush is a city in and the capital of Shush County, Khuzestan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 53,897, in 10,689 families. Shush is located near ancient Susa....
between the Dez and Karkheh rivers, was one of their largest before it was destroyed by the invaders.
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
captives that included its emperor Valerian
Valerian
- Botany :* Valeriana, a genus of plants* Valerian , a medicinal plant* Red valerian, a garden flower, Centranthus ruber - People :* Valerian - Botany :* Valeriana, a genus of plants* Valerian (herb), a medicinal plant* Red valerian, a garden flower, Centranthus ruber - People :* Valerian...
, whence the name of the bridge and dam Band-e Kaisar, "Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
's dam"--at Shushtar
Shushtar
-External links:** Hamid-Reza Hosseini, Shush at the foot of Louvre , in Persian, Jadid Online, 10 March 2009, .Audio slideshow: .* .* * , PressTV, 13 June 2010....
(3rd century AD).
In two of several competing theories about the origins and location of the Garden of Eden
Garden of Eden
The Garden of Eden is in the Bible's Book of Genesis as being the place where the first man, Adam, and his wife, Eve, lived after they were created by God. Literally, the Bible speaks about a garden in Eden...
the Karun is presumed to be the Gihon River
Gihon
Gihon is the name of the second river mentioned in the second chapter of the biblical Book of Genesis. The Gihon is mentioned as one of four rivers issuing out of the Garden of Eden that branched from a single river within the garden. The name may be interpreted as "Bursting Forth, Gushing"...
that is described in the Biblical book of Genesis. The strongest of these theories propounded by archaeologist Juris Zarins
Juris Zarins
Juris Zarins is an American-Latvian archaeologist and professor at Missouri State University, who specializes in the Middle East....
places the Garden of Eden at the northern tip of the Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
, fed by the four rivers Tigris
Tigris
The Tigris River is the eastern member of the two great rivers that define Mesopotamia, the other being the Euphrates. The river flows south from the mountains of southeastern Turkey through Iraq.-Geography:...
, Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
, Gihon
Gihon
Gihon is the name of the second river mentioned in the second chapter of the biblical Book of Genesis. The Gihon is mentioned as one of four rivers issuing out of the Garden of Eden that branched from a single river within the garden. The name may be interpreted as "Bursting Forth, Gushing"...
Karun and Pishon
Pishon
The Pishon is one of four rivers mentioned in the Biblical Genesis. In that passage, these rivers are described as arising within the Garden of Eden...
(Wadi Al-Batin).
The name of the river is derived from the mountain peak, Kuhrang, that serves as its source.
Famous silent film documentary Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life
Grass (1925 film)
Grass: A Nation's Battle for Life is a silent documentary film which follows a branch of the Bakhtiari tribe of Persia as they and their herds make their seasonal journey to better pastures. It is considered one of the earliest ethnographic documentary films. It was written by Richard Carver and...
(1925) tells the story of Bakhtiari tribe crossing this river with 50,000 people and 500,000 animals.
It was here during the Iran–Iraq War that the Iranians stopped the early Iraqi advance. With its limited military stocks, Iran unveiled its "human wave" assaults which used thousands of Basij
Basij
The Basij is a paramilitary volunteer militia established in 1979 by order of the Islamic Revolution's leader Ayatollah Khomeini. The force consists of young Iranians who have volunteered, often in exchange for official benefits...
(Popular Mobilization Army or People's Army) volunteers.
In September 2009, three districts of Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
province in southern Iraq were declared disaster areas as a result of Iran's construction of new dams on the Karun. The new dams resulted in high levels of salinity in the Shatt Al-Arab, which destroyed farm areas and threatened livestock. Civilians in the area were forced to evacuate.
Dams
Flood control
In communications, flood control is a feature of many communication protocols designed to prevent overwhelming of a destination receiver. Such controls can be implemented either in software or in hardware, and will often request that the message be resent after the receiver has finished...
. Gotvand Dam, Masjed Soleyman Dam
Masjed Soleyman Dam
The Masjed Soleyman Dam previously named "Godar-e Landar" is a dam in Iran on the Karun river. It is about high and generates 2,000 MW of power, and its reservoir holds of water. The dam is a rockfill structure with a clay core built for the Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co. The dam...
, Karun-1 (Shahid Abbaspour Dam
Shahid Abbaspour dam
The Shahid Abbaspour Dam is a large arch dam providing hydroelectricity from the Karun River; it is located about northeast of Masjed Soleiman, in the province of Khuzestan, Iran, and originally completed in 1976, and formerly named "Reza Shah Kabir Dam"...
), Karun-3, and Karun-4, most owned by Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co., all are on the main stem. Karun-2 would potentially be located in the Sussan Plain between Shahid Abbaspour and Karun-3, but because of fear of submerging archaeological sites, the project is still under consideration. A Karun-5 dam upstream of Karun-4 has also been proposed. The Masjed Soleyman, Shahid Abbaspour, and Karun-3 dams each generate 1,000-2,000 MW of power to service the peaking power sector of Iran's electricity grid, and when completed, Karun-4 will also generate 1,000 MW. There are also many dams on the river's tributaries. Dez Dam
Dez Dam
The Dez Dam is a large hydroelectric dam built in Iran in 1963 by an Italian consortium.The dam is on the Dez River in the Northwestern province of Khuzestan, the closest city being Andimeshk. It is high, making it one of the highest in the world, and has a reservoir capacity of...
, Bakhtiari Dam
Bakhtiari Dam
The Bakhtiari Dam is a planned arch dam on the Bakhtiari River within the Zagros Mountains in Lorestan Province, Iran. At a planned height of , it will be the world's tallest dam once completed and withhold the largest reservoir in Iran. The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power production...
(under construction) and Khersan 3 Dam (under construction) are among them. Proposed are Khersan 1, Khersan 2, Zalaki, Liro, Roudbar Lorestan, Bazoft, and others. The dams on the Karun have had a significant effect on the sediment
Sediment
Sediment is naturally occurring material that is broken down by processes of weathering and erosion, and is subsequently transported by the action of fluids such as wind, water, or ice, and/or by the force of gravity acting on the particle itself....
transport and the ecology of the river, and have required the relocation of thousands of residents.
External links
- Pasitigris (Karun), Photos from Iran, Livius.
- Karun river marshes, Factsheet, BirdLife International.
- Karun-3, Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant, Home. Album.
- http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/mapcenter/map.aspx?TextLatitude=36.5281317189842&TextLongitude=48.3554819461696&TextAltitude=6&TextSelectedEntity=26996&MapStyle=Comprehensive&MapSize=Medium&MapStyleSelectedIndex=0&searchTextMap=karun+%28river%29&MapStylesList=Comprehensive&ZoomOnMapClickCheck=on&ResultsListbox=36.5281317189842%3B48.3554819461696%3B6%3B26996%3BSefid+Rud+%28river%29%2C+Iran%2C+Middle+East%3BMedium%3BComprehensiveMap on Encarta]