Largest Dams in North America by Structural Volume

By  Sam Drake , views , updated
Categories: Urban Americas
Dataset contains 27 data items (see table below).

Overview

The structural volume of a dam is the total space occupied by the materials forming the dam structure computed between abutments and from top to bottom of dam. The abutment refers to the part of the valley side against which the dam is constructed.

Fort Peck Dam of United States is the largest dam by structural volume in North America with a volume of 96 million m3. At second and third, are Oahe Dam with a structure volume of 70.30 million m3 and Gardiner Dam at 65.40 million m3.The structural volumes of major dams in North America range from 2.20 million m3 to 96 million m3, with the average dam being 37.6 million m3 of water.

 Compare Fort Peck Dam with Chief Joseph Dam

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The above represents only a partial dataset — click here to rank, query and segment all 27 data items on the full dataset.

Here are the largest dams by structural volume in North America.

Fort Peck Dam.

Drone over Fort Peck Dam (credit: Youtube/ Gunner Benavente)

Completed in 1940, Fort Peck Dam is a 82-year-old embankment dam. It is located in Fort Peck, Montana, United States (North America).

The installed capacity of Fort Peck Dam is 185MW. The embankment dam stands 76.40 meters tall and can impound up to 23 billion m3 of water. Its structural volume is 96 million m3.

 

 Compare Fort Peck Dam with Wivenhoe Dam from Australia.

 Compare Fort Peck Dam with Llyn Brianne Dam from United Kingdom.


Oahe Dam.

Diving the Oahe Dam in Pierre, SD (credit: Youtube/The Mitch)

Oahe Dam is an embankment dam located in Hughes/Stanley counties, South Dakota, United States (North America). It was completed in 1963 (59 years old).

The installed capacity of Oahe Dam is 786MW. The embankment dam stands 75 meters tall and can impound up to 29 billion m3 of water. Its structural volume is 70.30 million m3.

 

 Compare Oahe Dam with Bakun Dam from Malaysia.

 Compare Oahe Dam with Somerset Dam from Australia.


Gardiner Dam.

Gardiner Dam by NewsTalk980CJME

Gardiner Dam is a 55-year-old embankment dam (completed in 1967). It is located in Saskatchewan, Canada (North America).

The embankment dam has an installed capacity of 186MW. Gardiner Dam stands 64 meters tall and can impound up to 9.40 billion m3 of water. Its structural volume is 65.40 million m3.

 

 Compare Gardiner Dam with Campos Novos Dam from Brazil.

 Compare Gardiner Dam with Xingó Dam from Brazil.


Oroville Dam.

Oroville Dam Aerial Video - Feb 16 2017 (credit: Youtube/Cal OES)

Oroville Dam is located in Oroville, California, United States (North America). The embankment dam was completed in 1968 (54 years old).

Oroville Dam is the 3rd tallest dam in North America. The embankment dam stands at a height of 230 meters and impounds up to 4.36 billion m3 of water. Oroville Dam has a structural volume of 59.60 million m3 and an installed capacity of 819MW.

 

 Compare Oroville Dam with Garrison Dam from United States.

 Compare Oroville Dam with Talbingo Dam from Australia.


San Luis Dam.

San Luis Reservoir (credit: Youtube/Drone Film Production)

Located in Merced County, California, United States, San Luis Dam, also known as B.F. Sisk Dam, is an embankment dam. It was built in 1968 (54 years since completion).

The embankment dam stands at a height of 116 meters and impounds up to 2.14 billion m3 of water. San Luis Dam has a structural volume of 59.37 million m3 and an installed capacity of 424MW.

 

 Compare San Luis Dam with Tehri Dam from India.

 Compare San Luis Dam with Llyn Brianne Dam from United Kingdom.


Garrison Dam.

Garrison Dam - June 8, 2011 (credit: Youtube/NDNationalGuard)

Completed in 1954, Garrison Dam is a 68-year-old embankment dam. It is located in McLean/Mercer Counties, North Dakota, United States (North America).

The structural height of Garrison Dam is 64 meters while its structural volume of 50.80 million m3. The embankment dam can hold up to 29 billion m3 of water.

 

 Compare Garrison Dam with Nuozhadu Dam from China.

 Compare Garrison Dam with W. A. C. Bennett Dam from Canada.


Cochiti Dam.

Cochiti Dam - Taming the Rio Grande by Executive Productions - Seattle

Cochiti Dam is a 47-year-old embankment dam (completed in 1975). It is located in Cochiti Pueblo, Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States (North America).

The embankment dam stands at a height of 76.50 meters and impounds up to 0.73 billion m3 of water. Cochiti Dam has a structural volume of 50.20 million m3.

 

 Compare Cochiti Dam with Tarbela Dam from Pakistan.

 Compare Cochiti Dam with Alberto Lleras Dam from Colombia.


Dams Lists

Largest Dams by Installed Capacity (MW): world | Asia | Europe | North America | South America | USA | Canada | Australia | UK

Tallest Dams: world | Asia | Europe | North America | South America | USA | Canada | Australia | UK

Dams with Largest Structural Volume: world | Asia | Europe | North America | South America | USA | Canada | Australia | UK

Dams with Largest Reservoir Volume: world | Asia | Europe | North America | South America | USA | Canada | Australia | UK

Largest/tallest Dams by Type: Arch Dams | Embankment Dams | Gravity Dams | Arch-Gravity Dams | Buttress Dams

Attributions