Koteshwar Dam
Encyclopedia
The Koteshwar Dam is a gravity dam on the Bhagirathi River
, located 22 km (14 mi) downstream of the Tehri Dam
in Tehri District, Uttarakhand
, India. The dam is part of the Tehri Hydropower Complex and serves to regulate the Tehri Dam's tailrace for irrigation and create the lower reservoir of the Tehri Pumped Storage Power Station. In addition, the dam has a 400 MW run-of-the-river power station, of which 200 MW is currently operational. The project was approved in 2000 and its first generator was commissioned on 27 March 2011, the second on 30 March. The construction site had been inundated in September 2010 from flooding and the diversion tunnel was later blocked in December. The last two generators are expected to be operational in March 2012.
consists of four 18 m (59 ft) wide and 16 m (52 ft) tall radial gates. When the reservoir is at flood level, the spillway has a discharge capacity of 13240 m3/s. Receiving water from Tehri Dam
and collecting it from an overall 7691 km² (2,970 sq mi) catchment area
, the dam creates a reservoir
with a 88900000 cubic metre capacity, of which 35000000 cubic metre is active (or "useful"). The reservoir's surface area is 29 km² (11 sq mi) and at full pool, it lies at an elevation of 612.5 m (2,010 ft). The dam's power station is a run-of-the-river type and uses the active storage in the reservoir which can draw the lake down 30 m (98 ft) from full pool. The power house is located on the right bank of the river below the dam and contains 4 x 100 MW Francis turbine
-generators. The height of the dam allows for a maximum 75 m (246 ft) of hydraulic head
.
Bhagirathi River
The Bhāgīrathī is a turbulent Himalayan river in the state of Uttarakhand, India, that is the source stream of the Ganges—the major river of the Gangetic plain of Northern India and the holy river of Hinduism.-Etymology:...
, located 22 km (14 mi) downstream of the Tehri Dam
Tehri dam
The Tehri Dam is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex...
in Tehri District, Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, India. The dam is part of the Tehri Hydropower Complex and serves to regulate the Tehri Dam's tailrace for irrigation and create the lower reservoir of the Tehri Pumped Storage Power Station. In addition, the dam has a 400 MW run-of-the-river power station, of which 200 MW is currently operational. The project was approved in 2000 and its first generator was commissioned on 27 March 2011, the second on 30 March. The construction site had been inundated in September 2010 from flooding and the diversion tunnel was later blocked in December. The last two generators are expected to be operational in March 2012.
Design
The dam is 97.5 m (320 ft) tall and 300 m (984 ft) long. It has a structural volume of 560000 m³ (732,452 cu yd) and its crest lies at an elevation of 618.5 m (2,029 ft) above sea level. The dam's spillwaySpillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
consists of four 18 m (59 ft) wide and 16 m (52 ft) tall radial gates. When the reservoir is at flood level, the spillway has a discharge capacity of 13240 m3/s. Receiving water from Tehri Dam
Tehri dam
The Tehri Dam is a multi-purpose rock and earth-fill embankment dam on the Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand, India. It is the primary dam of the Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd. and the Tehri hydroelectric complex...
and collecting it from an overall 7691 km² (2,970 sq mi) catchment area
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, the dam creates a reservoir
Reservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
with a 88900000 cubic metre capacity, of which 35000000 cubic metre is active (or "useful"). The reservoir's surface area is 29 km² (11 sq mi) and at full pool, it lies at an elevation of 612.5 m (2,010 ft). The dam's power station is a run-of-the-river type and uses the active storage in the reservoir which can draw the lake down 30 m (98 ft) from full pool. The power house is located on the right bank of the river below the dam and contains 4 x 100 MW Francis turbine
Francis turbine
The Francis turbine is a type of water turbine that was developed by James B. Francis in Lowell, Massachusetts. It is an inward-flow reaction turbine that combines radial and axial flow concepts....
-generators. The height of the dam allows for a maximum 75 m (246 ft) of hydraulic head
Hydraulic head
Hydraulic head or piezometric head is a specific measurement of water pressure above a geodetic datum. It is usually measured as a water surface elevation, expressed in units of length, at the entrance of a piezometer...
.