| Gezende Dam | |
|---|---|
Gezende reservoir near Evsin, view to the southeast | |
| Location | Turkey |
| Construction began | 1979 |
| Opening date | 1990 |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete arch |
| Impounds | Ermenek River |
| Height | 75 m (246 ft) |
| Reservoir | |
| Total capacity | 92,000,000 m3 (74,586 acre⋅ft) |
| Power Station | |
| Installed capacity | 159 MW |
| Annual generation | 528 GWh |
Gezende Dam is an arch dam on the Ermenek River in Mersin Province, Turkey. The development was backed by the Turkish State Hydraulic Works.
An arch dam is a concrete dam that is curved upstream in plan. The arch dam is designed so that the force of the water against it, known as hydrostatic pressure, presses against the arch, compressing and strengthening the structure as it pushes into its foundation or abutments. An arch dam is most suitable for narrow canyons or gorges with steep walls of stable rock to support the structure and stresses. Since they are thinner than any other dam type, they require much less construction material, making them economical and practical in remote areas.
The Mersin Province is a province in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean coast between Antalya and Adana. The provincial capital is the city of Mersin and the other major town is Tarsus, birthplace of St Paul. The province is part of Çukurova, a geographical, economical and cultural region, that covers the provinces of Mersin, Adana, Osmaniye and Hatay.
Turkey, officially the Republic of Turkey, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Western Asia, with a smaller portion on the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. East Thrace, located in Europe, is separated from Anatolia by the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorous strait and the Dardanelles. Turkey is bordered by Greece and Bulgaria to its northwest; Georgia to its northeast; Armenia, the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan and Iran to the east; and Iraq and Syria to the south. Istanbul is the largest city, but more central Ankara is the capital. Approximately 70 to 80 per cent of the country's citizens identify as Turkish. Kurds are the largest minority; the size of the Kurdish population is a subject of dispute with estimates placing the figure at anywhere from 12 to 25 per cent of the population.
