Satpara Dam is an under-construction medium-size multi-purpose concrete-faced earth-filled dam located downstream of the existing Satpara Lake

Satpara Lake

Satpara Lake is a natural lake near Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, which supplies water to Skardu Valley. It is fed by the Satpara Stream....

 on the Satpara Stream

Satpara Stream

Satpara Stream or Satpura Cho is a small tributary of the Indus River in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, which originates from the Deosai Plains and feeds into the Satpara Lake....

 approximateley 4 km from the town of Skardu

Skardu

Skardu , is the main town of the region Baltistan and the capital of Skardu District, one of the districts making up Pakistan's Gilgit Baltistan....

 in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

.

Upon completion, the dam will enlarge the size of Satpara Lake, generate 17.36 MW of hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...

 and supply power to approximately 30,000 households in the Skardu Valley, irrigate 15536 acres (62.9 km²) of land and supply 3.1 million gallons per day drinking water to Skardu city. Annual agricultural output in the Skardu Valley is expected to increase more than four-fold, generating about $6 million in additional annual economic benefits to to local communities.

Construction of Satpara Dam commenced in April 2003 and is scheduled for completion in November 2011. Power House No. 1 was completed and came online on 6 October 2007 and Power House No. 2 was completed and came online on 30 December 2008. On 7 January 2011, the Government of Pakistan

Government of Pakistan

The Government of Pakistan is a federal parliamentary system, with an indirectly-elected President as the Head of State and Commander in Chief of the Pakistani Armed Forces, and an indirectly-elected Prime Minister as the Head of Government. The President’s appointment and term are...

 and the United States Agency for International Development

United States Agency for International Development

The United States Agency for International Development is the United States federal government agency primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid. President John F. Kennedy created USAID in 1961 by executive order to implement development assistance programs in the areas...

(USAID) entered into an Enhanced Partnership Agreement under which USAID agreed to provide US$ 26 million for the construction of Power Houses Nos. 3 and 4 and completion of remaining works on the dam.

Salient features

Dam:

Type: Earth-filled

Length: 560 ft.

Height: 128 ft.

Width (at top): 30 ft.


Spillway:

Spillway length: 1,075 ft.

Spillway width: 50 ft.

Spillway capacity: 5000 ft 3/s


Reservoir capacity (gross): 0.093 MAF (93,385 AF)

Reservoir capacity (live): 0.051 MAF (51,484 AF)

Power generation capacity: 17.36 MW

Irrigation system: LBC 51933 ft., RBC 58000 ft.


Canal Length:

Left Bank Canal: 59,000 Ft.

Right Bank Canal : 30,000 Ft.


Command Area:

Total: 10131 acres (41 km²)

Left Bank Canal: 8119 acres (32.9 km²)

Right Bank Canal: 2012 acres (8.1 km²)


Construction:

Contractor: Descon Engineering Ltd.

Man-hours: 2.4 million

Peak manpower: 450