The Karun-4 Dam is an arch dam on the Karun River located 180 km southwest of Shahr-e-Kord in the province of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Iran.^[2] The Karun has the highest discharge of all the Iranian rivers.^[3] Its construction is aimed at generating hydroelectric power supply of 2,107 million kWh annually and controlling floods in the upper Karun.

Quick Facts Location, Coordinates ...

Karun-4 Dam
The dam under construction
Location of Karun-4 Dam in Iran
Location	Chahārmahāl-o-Bakhtiyārī Iran
Coordinates	31°35′58″N 50°28′20″E
Status	Operational
Construction began	1997
Opening date	2010
Construction cost	1.2 billion dollars
Operator(s)	IWPRDC
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch dam
Impounds	Karun River
Height	230 m (750 ft)
Length	440 m (1,440 ft)
Spillway capacity	6,150 m3/s (217,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Creates	Reservoir
Total capacity	2,190,000,000 m3 (1,780,000 acre⋅ft)
Catchment area	12,813.4 km2 (4,947 sq mi)
Surface area	29 km2 (11 sq mi)
Power Station
Commission date	2010-2011
Turbines	4 x 255 MW Francis-type[1]
Installed capacity	1,020 MW

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The dam is a concrete double curvature arch-type and 230 metres (750 ft) high from the foundation.^[2] The arch dam design is an ideal one for a dam built in a narrow, rocky gorge to hold back water in a reservoir. The dam is curved. Because of the arch shape, the force of the backed up water presses downward against the dam and has the effect of strengthening the dam foundation. The dam withholds a reservoir with a surface area of 29 square kilometres (11 sq mi) and capacity of 2.19 cubic kilometres (1,780,000 acre⋅ft).^[4] The dam's first study was conducted in 1995 and river diversion began in 1997. Concrete pouring began in 2006 and the power plant began producing electricity in November 2010.^[5][6] On December 11, 2010, the second generator for the dam became operational and was connected to the grid. The dam will eventually have an installed capacity of 1,020 MW.^[7] The dam was inaugurated on 6 July 2011 by Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad.^[8]

It was built to fulfill the followings:

• To produce an average annual hydropower energy as much as 2100 GW-h.
• To join the cascade dams on the Karun River, hence regulate the flow in order to supply the water required by the industry and agriculture downstream.
• To control the destructive floods of the Karun River.^[2]

• List of power stations in Iran
• Dams in Iran