Musatepe Dam Explained

Musatepe Dam
Location Map:Turkey
Coordinates:37.3828°N 42.9059°W
Country:Turkey
Location:Uludere, Şırnak Province
Purpose:Water supply, military
Status:UC
Construction Began:2008
Cost:US$24,640,000 (TL38,500,000) (Combined cost with Çetintepe Dam)[1]
Owner:State Hydraulic Works
Dam Type:Gravity, roller-compacted concrete
Dam Height:34.50NaN0
Dam Length:1650NaN0
Dam Width Crest:80NaN0
Dam Volume:604000NaN0
Dam Elevation Crest:11150NaN0
Dam Crosses:Ortasu River
Spillway Type:Overflow
Res Capacity Total:122900000NaN0
Res Catchment:87.70NaN0
Plant Capacity:9 MW (planned)

The Musatepe Dam is a gravity dam under construction on the Ortasu River (a tributary of the Hezil River) in Uludere district of Şırnak Province, southeast Turkey. Under contract from Turkey's State Hydraulic Works, Ozerka Insaat began construction on the dam in 2008 and a completion date has not been announced.

The reported purpose of the dam is water storage and it can also support a 9 MW hydroelectric power station in the future.[2] Another purpose of the dam which has been widely reported in the Turkish press is to reduce the freedom of movement of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants. Blocking and flooding valleys close to the Iraq–Turkey border is expected to help curb cross-border PKK smuggling and deny caves in which ammunition can be stored. A total of 11 dams along the border; seven in Şırnak Province and four in Hakkâri Province were implemented for this purpose. In Şırnak they are the Silopi, Şırnak, Uludere, Balli and Kavşaktepe Dams downstream of the Musatepe Dam and the Çetintepe Dam upstream on the Ortasu River. In Hakkari are the Gölgeliyamaç (since cancelled) and Çocuktepe Dams on the Güzeldere River and the Aslandağ and Beyyurdu Dams on the Bembo River.[3] [4] [5] [6]

Construction works were estimated 52% complete in July 2015.[7] Musatepe Dam was still under construction as of March 2019.[8]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Musatepe Dam construction tender. DGMarkets. 3 August 2013. 2008.
  2. Web site: DSI 10 REGIONAL OFFICE - Diyarbakir. State Hydraulic Works. 1 August 2013. Turkish. 21 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121121071858/http://www2.dsi.gov.tr/bolge/dsi10/sirnak.htm. dead.
  3. Web site: Terror Down. Posta. 1 August 2013. Turkish. 24 August 2012.
  4. Web site: Planned to be completed in the second dam on the border against the PKK. Hurriyet. 1 August 2013. Turkish. 26 October 2011.
  5. Web site: Dams Prevent Smuggling at the Border. Aktif Haber. 1 August 2013. Turkish. 5 May 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130510001959/http://www.aktifhaber.com/sinirdaki-barajlar-kacakciligi-onleyecek-780919h.htm. 10 May 2013.
  6. Web site: Water retention dams began operation against PKK. CNNTurk. 2 August 2013. Turkish. 23 August 2012.
  7. Web site: PKK, Doğu'nun çılgın projesine savaş açtı. Memurlar.Net. tr-tr. 2020-04-24.
  8. Web site: Şırnak'a Baraj ve HES Yatırımları Devam Ediyor!. Ki. Tercan Dedi. 2019-03-13. Enerji Portalı. tr. 2020-04-24.