Aswan High Dam Controls the Nile River Aswan High Dam Aswan High Dam Controls The Nile River Cars drive on a bridge crossing the Nile River in central Cairo, Egypt. Getty Images Europe Share By Matt Rosenberg Just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan lies the Aswan High Dam, a huge rockfill dam which captures the world's longest river , the Nile River, in the world's third largest reservoirs, Lake Nasser. The dam, known as Saad el Aali in Arabic, was completed in 1970 after ten years of work. Egypt has always depended on the water of the Nile River. The two main tributaries of the Nile River are the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The source of the White Nile are the Sobat River Bahr al-Jabal (The "Mountain Nile") and the Blue Nile begins in the Ethiopian Highlands. The two tributaries converge in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan where they form the Nile River. The Nile River has a total length of 4,160 miles (6,695 kilometers) from source to sea.

Nile Flooding Before the building of a dam at Aswan, Egypt experienced annual floods from the Nile River that deposited four million tons of nutrient-rich sediment which enabled agricultural production. continue reading below our video 10 Facts About the Titanic That You Don't Know This process began millions of years before Egyptian civilization began in the Nile River valley and continued until the first dam at Aswan was built in 1889. This dam was insufficient to hold back the water of the Nile and was subsequently raised in 1912 and 1933. In 1946, the true danger was revealed when the water in the reservoir peaked near the top of the dam. In 1952, the interim Revolutionary Council government of Egypt decided to build a High Dam at Aswan, about four miles upstream of the old dam. In 1954, Egypt requested loans from the World Bank to help pay for the cost of the dam (which eventually added up to one billion dollars). Initially, the United States agreed to loan Egypt money but then withdrew their offer for unknown reasons. Some speculate that it may have been due to Egyptian and Israeli conflict.

The United Kingdom , France, and Israel had invaded Egypt in 1956, soon after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal to help pay for the dam. The Soviet Union offered to help and Egypt accepted. The Soviet Union's support was not unconditional, however. Along with the money, they also sent military advisers and other workers to help enhance Egyptian-Soviet ties and relations. Building of the Aswan Dam In order to build the Aswan Dam both people and artifacts had to be moved. Over 90,000 Nubians had to be relocated. Those who had been living in Egypt were moved about 28 miles (45 km) away but the Sudanese Nubians were relocated 370 miles (600 km) from their homes. The government was also forced to develop one of the largest Abu Simel temple and dig for artifacts before the future lake would drown the land of the Nubians. After years of construction (the material in the dam is the equivalent to 17 of the great pyramid at Giza), the resulting reservoir was named for the former president of Egypt, Gamal Abdel Nasser , who died in 1970.

The lake holds 137 million acre-feet of water (169 billion cubic meters). About 17 percent of the lake is in Sudan and the two countries have an agreement for distribution of the water. Aswan Dam Benefits The Aswan Dam benefits Egypt by controlling the annual floods on the Nile River and prevents the damage which used to occur along the floodplain. The Aswan High Dam provides about a half of Egypt's power supply and has improved navigation along the river by keeping the water flow consistent. There are several problems associated with the dam as well. Seepage and evaporation accounts for a loss of about 12-14% of the annual input into the reservoir. The sediments of the Nile River, as with all river and dam systems, has been filling the reservoir and thus decreasing its storage capacity. This has also resulted in problems downstream. Farmers have been forced to use about a million tons of artificial fertilizer as a substitute for the nutrients which no longer fill the flood plain. Further downstream, the Nile delta is having problems due to the lack of sediment as well since there is no additional agglomeration of sediment to keep erosion of the delta at bay so it slowly shrinks.

Even the shrimp catch in the Mediterranean Sea has decreased due to the change in water flow. Poor drainage of the newly irrigated lands has led to saturation and increased salinity. Over one half of Egypt's farmland in now rated medium to poor soils. The parasitic disease schistosomiasis has been associated with the stagnant water of the fields and the reservoir. Some studies indicate that the number of individuals affected has increased since the opening of the Aswan Dam. The Nile River and now the Aswan High Dam are Egypt's lifeline. About 95% of Egypt's population live within twelve miles from the river. Were it not for the river and its sediment, the grand civilization of ancient Egypt probably would have never existed. BUILDING BIG: Databank: Aswan High Dam Aswan High Dam Reservoir Capacity: 5.97 trillion cubic feet Type: Embankment Purpose: Flood control, hydroelectric power, irrigation Reservoir: Lake Nasser Materials: Rock, clay Engineer(s): planned by a team of British engineers; built by a team of Soviet engineers In the middle of the arid Egyptian desert lies one of the largest embankment dams in the world.

It is called the Aswan High Dam, or Saad el Aali in Arabic, and it captures the mighty Nile River in the world's third largest reservoir, Lake Nasser. Before the dam was built, the Nile River overflowed its banks once a year and deposited four million tons of nutrient-rich silt on the valley floor, making Egypt's otherwise dry land productive and fertile. But there were some years when the river did not rise at all, causing widespread drought and famine. In 1952, Egyptian president Gamal Abdal-Nasser pledged to control his country's annual flood with a giant new dam across the Nile River. His plan worked. Click photo for larger image. The Aswan High Dam captures floodwater during rainy seasons and releases the water during times of drought. The dam also generates enormous amounts of electric power -- more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours every year. That's enough electricity to power one million color televisions for 20 years! Unfortunately, the dam has also produced several negative side effects. In order to build the dam, 90,000 Egyptian peasants had to move.

To make matters worse, the rich silt that normally fertilized the dry desert land during annual floods is now stuck at the bottom of Lake Nasser! Farmers have been forced to use about one million tons of artificial fertilizer as a substitute for natural nutrients that once fertilized the arid floodplain. Here's how this dam stacks up against some of the biggest dams in the world. (reservoir capacity, in cubic feet) Aswan High Dam Fast Facts: About 95 percent of Egypt's population lives within 12 miles of the Nile River. Since the dam was completed in 1970, the fertility of Egypt's farmland has gradually decreased. Today, more than half of Egypt's soil is rated medium to poor. Enough rock was used in the construction of the Aswan High Dam to build 17 Great Pyramids at Giza, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Lesson 6: The Nile River - Where Does the Water Go? Where Does the Water Go? Lesson 6: The Nile River - Where Does the Water Go?

Problems with the Aswan Dam The 1959 Water Agreement divided up the average annual Nile waters as shown below: Egypt 84.0 BCM (average flow 1912-1959) Naturally, when the river's flow was below the long-term average, sharing according to those specifications was impossible. The Egyptians, who are more heavily industrialized than the Sudanese, claimed that their water needs should take priority, leading to regional tensions that persist to this day. Oddly enough, the Ethiopians, in whose country the Blue Nile begins, were left out of the 1959 agreement entirely. The Nile River and the Aswan High Dam are Egypt's lifelines. About 95% of Egypt's population lives within twelve miles of the river. The dam benefits Egypt by controlling the annual floods on the Nile and prevents the damage that used to occur along the floodplain. The Aswan High Dam provides about a half of Egypt's power supply and has improved navigation along the river by keeping the water flow consistent. Following completion of the dam there have been extensive problems, ironically caused in part because the annual flood no longer occurs.

We will discuss five different issues: agriculture, changes to the Egyptian fishing industry, and erosion of the Delta. Agriculture Agriculture in the delta has traditionally benefited from the water and silt deposited by the flood (remember that the silt comes from eroding basalt lava in the Ethiopian highlands). This silt made the Nile delta one of the richest agricultural areas in the world and the basis of one of the most ancient human civilizations. Irrigation and more intensive farming, combined with inadequate drainage, has created swamps. The rise in water tables has led to accumulation of harmful salts, fertilizers, and pesticides in the upper layers of the soil. Farmers have been forced to use about a million tons of artificial fertilizer as a substitute for the nutrients that no longer fill the flood plain. Poor drainage of the newly irrigated lands has led to soil saturation and increased salinity. Over half of Egypt's farmland is now rated medium to poor in quality. The high cost of developing drainage systems is the main problem, and Egypt lacks hard foreign investment currency. The water table has risen since the dam was built, increasing the danger of fertilizer and other agricultural waste products seeping into the river, which is the main source of drinking water for the local population.

Why would the water table rise? All soil is permeable, so water will always leak out of the lake. The lake essentially forces water into the surrounding soils when it is full, and then water can flow back into the lake when it is low. Increased diseases The parasitic disease schistosomiasis has been associated with the stagnant water of the fields and the reservoir. Some studies indicate that the number of individuals affected has increased since the opening of the High Dam. Recall from the Theroux reading (National Geographic) that schistosomiasis has been present in the region for thousands of years, but the reservoir is a huge breeding ground.In some areas, the building of the Aswan dam caused an increased occurrence of schistosomiasis among the population -- from 21% to almost 100%. Similarly, the first cases of malaria in northern Africa happened after establishment of Lake Nasser. Mosquitoes need shallow stagnant water to breed, and the lakeshore is the perfect environment. The recent identification of West Nile virus also indicates a water-bred and mosquito-borne disease that would not flourish if Lake Nasser had not been built.

Human issues - Antiquities and resettlement of the Nubians In order to build the dam, both people and artifacts had to be moved. Over 90,000 (by some estimates over 120,000) Nubians had to be relocated. Those who had been living in Egypt were moved about 28 miles (45 km) away, but the Sudanese Nubians were relocated 370 miles (600 km) from their homes. The resettlement program was carried out very quickly, with severe consequences for the ~50,000 farmers who had to abandon their land. Their settlement, called New Nubia, was far from arable land. Like the northern Nile valley, agriculture in Nubia had traditionally been based on the annual flood of the rivers. The regulation of the rivers put an end to this kind of farming. In addition, arable land was submerged by the reservoir. The people tried to farm the riverbank instead, causing increased erosion. Efforts to start a system of rotation of crops clashed with tradition and did not work out. The area they were moved to could not sustain the population, resulting in poverty and rising death.

The resettlement areas were infested with the tsetse fly, and many people were exposed to sleeping sickness. Because of poor planning, about 50,000 people ended up in camps resembling refugee camps. The hygiene in these camps was very bad, and epidemics flourished. The program of resettlement made the Nubians dependent on food aid in order not to starve. Nubia is also of tremendous historic importance, as this area - located between the First and Third cataracts - was the Kingdom of Kush, founded during the Middle Kingdom about 2000 years BC (4000 years BP). The government became aware (rather late in the game) that many artifacts and antiquities would be submerged. The Great Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbe. The Kiosk of Trajan is in the foreground, while the Temple of Isis is at the right rear. The reservior of the first Aswan Dam flooded the complex for much of each year. Date and photographer unknown.

Source: From the Collections of the Kelsey Museum - ~kelseydb/Exhibits/AncientNubia/PhotoIntro.html Ambitious rescue operations were begun in 1960, after an appeal by the Director-General of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization). Twenty monuments from the Egyptian part of Nubia and four monuments from the Sudan were dismantled, relocated and re-erected. Many others were identified during the survey, and were documented before their subsequent inundation. Special permits were issued by the Egyptian and Sudanese governments for archaeological excavations conducted by multinational teams of researchers. This statue was taken apart and moved from the Nile Valley onto the bluffs overlooking Lake Nasser in a last-minute effort by UNESCO. Source: The Temples of Abu Simbel - built over 3250 years ago by Pharaoh Ramses II - were salvaged successfully. The effort involved moving 300,000 tons of rock, cutting the temple into over 1000 blocks and moving the pieces to higher ground. Many other sites were similarly relocated and are now preserved on the higher ground surrounding Lake Nasser. In the end, however, time ran out.

It became clear that it would not be possible to document many of the sites of Lower Nubia completely, and that much of the information which careful archaeological excavation can yield would be lost forever. Changes to the Egyptian fishing industry One good aspect of the lake was to be its contribution to a new Egyptian fishing industry. However, weeds flourished in the reservoir, causing problems for the dam and the generators. Five years after the dam was built, two thousand fishermen managed to catch 3,628 tons annually, while the catch was expected to be around 20,000 tons. Ten years later the catch had dropped to 907 tons, and in 1978 the fisheries were so poor that only a small part of the population was able to live off fishing. The effect of the dam on the Mediterranean fishing industry was more dramatic. The silt and sediments normally carried by the river contain important minerals and nutrients for fisheries in the sea at the river mouth. Unlike more fertile, nutrient-rich seas, such as the North Sea and the Arabian Sea, the Mediterranean is noted for its nutrient-poor waters that contribute to a low level of primary productivity.

Primary productivity is the creation of organic matter through photosynthesis by unicellular organisms called phytoplankton. In the Mediterranean Sea, primary productivity is unusually low for several reasons. The circulation of the sea brings low-nutrient water from the North Atlantic through the Strait of Gibraltar, and allows nutrient-rich bottom water to exit the sea through the same opening. The arid climate of the region and the low levels of nutrient-rich river runoff also contribute to the low productivity of the Mediterranean. Before the High Dam was built, fifty percent of the Nile flow drained into the Mediterranean. During an average flood, the total discharge of nutrient salts was estimated to be approximately 5,500 tons of phosphate and 280,000 tons of silicate. The nutrient-rich floodwater, or Nile Stream, was ~15 kilometers wide; it extended along the Egyptian coast and was detected off the Israeli coast and sometimes off southern Turkey. The decrease in fertility of the southeastern Mediterranean waters caused by the High Dam has had a catastrophic effect on marine fisheries. The average fish catch declined from nearly 35,000 tons in 1962 and 1963 to less than one-fourth of this catch in 1969.

Hardest hit was the sardine fishery: from a total of 18,000 tons in 1962, a mere 460 and 600 tons of sardine were landed in 1968 and 1969. The shrimp fishery also took a heavy toll as the catch decreased from 8,300 tons in 1963 to 1,128 tons in 1969. In recent years there has been a noticeable increase in the sardine catch along the Egyptian coast (8,590 tons in 1992) with most of the landings coinciding with the period of maximum discharge from the coastal lakes during winter. Since the late 1980s, the total fish catch (pelagic and bottom) off the Egyptian coast has grown to levels comparable to those that existed before construction of the dam. Whether this is due to improved fishing efforts or recovery of fish stocks is not clear. Erosion of the Delta The reduced supply of silt and sediment from the annual flood has caused heavy erosion in the Nile Delta and as far away as Israel.

The erosion, coupled with normal compaction of deltaic sediments, has decreased the inhabitable land on the Delta for the first time in over 10,000 years. The lack of silt reaching the Delta has made for a different set of problems farther upriver as well. The silt now gets trapped behind the Aswan Dam, where it settles out of the water and falls in thick layers on the floor of Lake Nasser. As a result, the reservoir becomes smaller each year, and is less able to handle the water and electricity-generation needs of the nation. The Aswan Dam is hardly the only problematic example of engineering. Consider also the Kariba Dam, completed in 1959 across the Zambezi River. The purpose of the Kariba Dam was to provide electricity to the population and the industry of southern Zimbabwe, as well as to the copper mines in the north. Construction was started in 1956, financed by the largest World Bank loan ever. The dam was built by the British colonial government where the river formed the border between Northern and Southern Rhodesia (currently Zambia and Zimbabwe). There are places in the world where dam building is not so problematical.

Iceland, for example, has almost limitless hydroelectric power, and is working to dam many of the rivers in the country's interior. In this case, there are no people to resettle, and no international boundaries involved. The only "loss" is that of spectacular canyons and valleys, but there may be enough to go around. Aswan High Dam completed - Jul 21, 1970 - HISTORY.com Aswan High Dam completed Publisher A+E Networks After 11 years of construction, the Aswan High Dam across the Nile River in Egypt is completed on July 21, 1970. More than two miles long at its crest, the massive $1 billion dam ended the cycle of flood and drought in the Nile River region, and exploited a tremendous source of renewable energy, but had a controversial environmental impact. A dam was completed at Aswan, 500 miles south of Cairo, in 1902. The first Aswan dam provided valuable irrigation during droughts but could not hold back the annual flood of the mighty Nile River.

In the 1950s, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser envisioned building a new dam across the Nile, one large enough to end flooding and bring electric power to every corner of Egypt. He won United States and British financial backing, but in July 1956 both nations canceled the offer after learning of a secret Egyptian arms agreement with the USSR. In response, Nasser nationalized the British and French-owned Suez Canal, intending to use tolls to pay for his High Dam project. This act precipitated the Suez Canal Crisis, in which Israel, Britain, and France attacked Egypt in a joint military operation. The Suez Canal was occupied, but Soviet, U.S., and U.N. forced Israel, Britain, and France to withdraw, and the Suez Canal was left in Egyptian hands in 1957. Soviet loans and proceeds from Suez Canal tolls allowed Nasser to begin work on the Aswan High Dam in 1960. Some 57 million cubic yards of earth and rock were used to build the dam, which has a mass 16 times that of the Great Pyramid at Giza.

On July 21, 1970, the ambitious project was completed. President Nasser died of a heart attack in September 1970, before the dam was formally dedicated in 1971. The giant reservoir created by the dam–300 miles long and 10 miles wide–was named Lake Nasser in his honor. The formation of Lake Nasser required the resettlement of 90,000 Egyptian peasants and Sudanese Nubian nomads, as well as the costly relocation of the ancient Egyptian temple complex of Abu Simbel, built in the 13th century B.C. The Aswan High Dam brought the Nile’s devastating floods to an end, reclaimed more than 100,000 acres of desert land for cultivation, and made additional crops possible on some 800,000 other acres. The dam’s 12 giant Soviet-built turbines produce as much as 10 billion kilowatt-hours annually, providing a tremendous boost to the Egyptian economy and introducing 20th-century life into many villages.

The water stored in Lake Nasser, several trillion cubic feet, is shared by Egypt and the Sudan and was crucial during the African drought years of 1984 to 1988. Despite its successes, the Aswan High Dam has produced several negative side effects. Most costly is the gradual decrease in the fertility of agricultural lands in the Nile delta, which used to benefit from the millions of tons of silt deposited annually by the Nile floods. Another detriment to humans has been the spread of the disease schistosomiasis by snails that live in the irrigation system created by the dam. The reduction of waterborne nutrients flowing into the Mediterranean is suspected to be the cause of a decline in anchovy populations in the eastern Mediterranean. The end of flooding has sharply reduced the number of fish in the Nile, many of which were migratory. Lake Nasser, however, has been stocked with fish, and many species, including perch, thrive there. Related Videos Aswan High Dam, River Nile, Sudan - Water Technology The dam's reservoir improved navigation across the Nile River, enhancing tourism. Aswan High Dam, River Nile, Sudan, Egypt Aswan High Dam is a rock-fill dam located at the northern border between Egypt and Sudan.

The dam is fed by the River Nile's waters, and the reservoir created by the dam forms Lake Nasser. The dam's construction began in 1960 and was completed in 1968. It was, however, officially inaugurated in 1971. The total investment for constructing the dam reached $1bn. With a reservoir capacity of 132 cubic kilometres, the Aswan High Dam provides water for about 33,600km of irrigation land. It serves the irrigation needs of both Egypt and Sudan, controls flooding, generates power and helps in improving navigation across the Nile. Egypt and Sudan reached an agreement in 1959, as part of which about 18.5 cubic kilometres of water from the reservoir was allocated to Sudan. History of the Aswan High Dam "Institute Hydroproject of Russia, in collaboration with various engineers from Egypt, designed the Aswan High rock-fill dam." Efforts to harness water from the River Nile were first initiated with the construction of the Aswan Low Dam in 1898 under the direction of Sir William Willcocks.

The dam was completed in 1902 and was raised twice during the period of 1907-1912 and 1929-1933 to further alleviate the Nile from flooding. The Aswan Low Dam was, however, not adequate to control the annual flooding of the Nile. This gave rise to the idea of constructing a higher dam in 1952 with funding from the World Bank being sought in 1954. The US and Britain had earlier tried to fund part of the project but it did not materialise. The US withdrew the funding, followed by Britain and the World Bank. The Soviet Union finally came to the rescue of Egypt by providing the required funds for the project in 1958. Construction of Aswan High Dam finally began in 1960. Purpose and benefits of the North African project The dam was constructed with the primary aim of regulating the flow of the River Nile, which serves as a lifeline to almost the whole of Egypt. Flooding of the Nile occurs annually, with almost half of the water being drained into the sea wastefully.

The dam controls floods by regulating the flow of river and supplies water for irrigation throughout the year, almost doubling the agricultural yield. The dam also improved navigation across the Nile, benefiting the tourism and fishing industries. Water from the dam is used for feeding 12 power turbines providing half of Egypt's power needs. The reservoir also helps to supply the stored water during droughts. Details of the rock-fill dam project Aswan High Dam measures 111m in height, 3,830m in length and has a base width of 980m. The spillway has a discharge capacity of 11,000 cubic meters a second. "The dam was constructed with the aim of regulating the flow of the River Nile, which serves as a lifeline to almost all of Egypt." Comprising of rocks, cement and metals, it creates the reservoir of the dam measuring 550km in length and 35km in width. The reservoir, with its surface area of 5,250 square kilometres, elevation of 183m and depth of 185m, has a storage capacity of 132 cubic kilometres.

The dam consists of 180 sluice gates to regulate the flow of water to achieve flood control. It also has 12 Francis turbines, with an installed capacity of 2,100MW to supply electricity for industrial and household use. The dam's construction required some 44 million cubic metres of building materials and a workforce of about 34,000 people. Controversies surrounding Aswan High Dam Related project Nile River Barrage, Naga Hammadi, Egypt The barrage is of crucial importance to the development of the Nile Valley water supply infrastructure. Aswan High Dam had been controversial right from its inception. The project was hit by financial controversies before its implementation when US, Britain and the World Bank backed out from their decision of partially funding the project. It created tension between various countries and lead, in part, to the Cold War, when Egypt decided to fund the project by nationalising the Suez Canal. The project came through after the then Soviet Union funded part of the project. The dam also witnessed various oppositions due to environmental issues. The River Nile was the main source of providing silts required for irrigation along the course of the river. Issues concerning aquatic life were also raised.

The dam's site also submerged certain historical sites and caused the relocation of about 100,000 inhabitants. Key players involved with the African dam Institute Hydroproject of Russia, in collaboration with various engineers from Egypt, designed the Aswan High rock-fill dam. Out of the 34,000 people involved during the construction process, 25,000 were Egyptian engineers. The construction project involved Osman Ahmed Osman. Related content Aswan Dam |Aswan | Egypt travel Guide Aswan Aswan Dam Aswan High Dam is an embankment dam situated across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt. Since the 1950s, the name commonly refers to the High Dam. Construction of the High Dam became a key objective of the Egyptian Government following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952, as the ability to control floods, provide water for irrigation, and generate hydroelectricity were seen as pivotal to Egypt's industrialization. The High Dam was constructed between 1960 and 1970, and has had a significant impact on the economy and culture of Egypt.

Before the dams were built, the Nile River flooded every year during late summer, when water flowed down the valley from its East African drainage basin. These floods brought high water and natural nutrients and minerals that annually enriched the fertile soil along the floodplain and delta; this had made the Nile valley ideal for farming since ancient times. Because floods vary, in high-water years the whole crop might be wiped out, while in low-water years widespread drought and famine occasionally occurred. As Egypt's population grew and conditions changed, both a desire and ability developed to control the floods, and thus both protect and support farmland and the economically important cotton crop. With the reservoir storage provided by the Aswan dams, the floods could be lessened and the water stored for later release. Aswan High Dam was an engineering miracle when it was built. It contains 18 times the material used in the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The Dam is 11,811 feet long, 3215 feet thick at the base and and 364 feet tall.

Today it provides irrigation and electricity for the whole of Egypt and, together with the Old Aswan Dam built by the British between 1898 and 1902, 6 km down river, wonderful views for visitors. From the top of the two Mile long High Dam you can gaze across Nassar's Lake, the huge reservoir created when it was built, to Kalabsha Temple in the south and the huge power station to the north. The High Dam created a 30% increase in the cultivatable land in Egypt, and raised the water table for the Shara as far away as Algeria. The electricity producing capability of the Dam doubled Egypt's available supply. The High Dam added an whole new aspect to Egypt, and a new environment as well. The lake is some 500 miles long and at the time it was built, if not now, was the world's largest artificial lake. Aswan Attractions The Aswan Dam - An Introduction - mrdowling.com Message to Students The Aswan Dam For thousands of years, the Nile River overflowed its banks every spring as snow and spring rains in the mountains of East Africa transformed into a torrent of water.

The annual flooding carried dead and decaying plants in its muddy solution. The muddy water is called silt, and silt created excellent topsoil for Egyptian farmers. For more than a century, Egyptian leaders have dreamed of building a dam to control the Nile River. In addition to regulating the Nile's flow, a large dam could store water for Egypt's dry season, and rushing waters flowing from the dam could provide Egypt with a free supply of hydroelectricity. Hydroelectricity is electric power generated by the movement of water. The British built a dam in the city of Aswan in southern Egypt in 1902. What is now called the Aswan Low Dam or the Old Aswan Dam was, at that time, the largest masonry dam in the world. Despite its size, the original Aswan Dam was unable to provide Egypt with proper control of the great river. Further, the original dam did not hold back a large reservoir of water for use in the dry season. Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser hoped to build a larger dam. In 1956, Nasser asked the United States and Great Britain for financial assistance. The western nations refused because of Nasser's close ties with the Soviet Union.

The Soviet Union, now known as Russia, was at that time a military superpower nation. The United States and Britain were engaged in a period of hostilities with the Soviet Union. These hostilities were known as the Cold War. The Cold War lasted from 1945 until 1990. Although the hostilities did not develop into World War III, both sides sought to influence developing nations such as Egypt. When the two western nations refused Nasser's request for financial assistance, the Egyptian president seized control of the Suez Canal. He then asked for and received assistance from the Soviet Union to build a larger dam in Aswan. The Aswan High Dam was completed in 1970. The new dam was able to control the annual flooding of the Nile, but it created both benefits and consequences for the Egyptian people. By holding back water, the Aswan Dam created Lake Nasser, the world's largest man-made lake. The water from Lake Nasser provided new fishing areas. The Aswan Dam also makes it possible for Egyptian farmers to grow an extra crop each year by releasing water into the Nile during the dry season.

The dam has also helped tourism in Egypt because the height of the Nile is now reliable enough for cruise ships to travel the ancient river's waters throughout most of the year. Critics charged that building the Aswan Dam was unwise. The project was far more expensive than originally expected. Further, since the creation of the Aswan Dam, the farmers along the banks of the Nile River have had to use expensive fertilizers in place of the topsoil provided by the river silt. Fish had once fed on the silt, and the people downstream depended on fishing from the river. Without the food in the muddy water, fewer fish are able to survive. The human impact of the Aswan High Dam was also great. More than 100,000 Egyptian people and an additional 50,000 Sudanese people were forced to move because their homes would soon be under the water held back by the Aswan High Dam. The Aswan High Dam was a tremendous technological achievement, but building the dam was a controversial decision that has been debated for more than forty years. The Aswan High Dam is able to control the annual flooding of the Nile Aswan is a city in the south of Egypt.

Resources Aswan High Dam By Jennifer Rosenberg Updated October 20, 2015. After ten years of construction, the Aswan High Dam (known as Saad el Aali in Arabic) was completed on July 21, 1970 in Egypt . The Aswan High Dam, located on the Nile River just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan, is an embankment dam built of rock and clay. The Aswan High Dam was needed to help control the frequent cycles of flooding and drought within Egypt and to provide electricity. The water behind the dam pools into the world's third largest reservoir, Lake Nasser. Size of the Aswan High Dam At 364 feet (111 meters) high and about 2.4 miles (3.8 kilometers) wide, the Aswan High Dam was a marvel of construction. It cost about $1 billion to build but it was worth it if it could to solve the problem that had plagued Egyptian civilization for thousands of years -- the flooding of the Nile River. Electricity In addition to preventing flooding of the Nile River, the Aswan High Dam brought electricity to households and villages across Egypt that had never experienced something many of us take for granted.

continue reading below our video 4 Tips for Improving Test Performance This electricity was generated by the dam's 12 turbines, which are capable of generating ten billion kilowatt-hours annually. Fresh Water Reservoir The Aswan High Dam prevented the Nile from flooding, but it was the reservoir behind the dam that provided a source of fresh water for the Egyptian people during the drought years. The lake that was created is quite large, with a gross capacity of 136,927,000 acre-feet (168.9 billion cubic meters). Two-thirds of the lake lies in Egypt and one-third lies in the Sudan. The part of the lake in Egypt is called Lake Nasser, named after Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser who had spearheaded the building of the dam but died in September 1970, just a few months shy of the dam's grand opening. The part of the lake in the Sudan is called Lake Nubia, named after the ancient civilization that used to occupy the area.

Relocation When the plans for building the Aswan High Dam were being created, it became apparent that the area allocated for Lake Nasser/Lake Nubia was not only inhabited but also home to a number of important historical artifacts and buildings. Before the dam could be built, 90,000 Egyptian peasants and Sudanese Nubian nomads had to be relocated. As for the important historical sites, UNESCO worked on gathering international financial support to remove them before the area was flooded. The most notable of these were the two temples of Abu Simbel , built by the ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Ramses II . To move the temples, the entire temple complex was cut up into huge blocks and then moved out of the way. It was then reconstructed at a safe distance. Negative Side Effects While the Aswan High Dam has successfully mitigated the Nile's annual flooding and frequent droughts, this has caused a problem as well. For thousands of years, most of Egypt's people have lived alongside the Nile and their farmlands have been replenished with nutrients from the annual flooding. Now, with no flooding, these once nutrient-rich lands have become stripped of their richness and farmers are now having to supplement their soil with artificial fertilizers.

The Aswan Dam - The River Nile The River Nile Bibliography The Aswan Dam The Aswan Dam was an important change for Egypt.It is an enbankment dam. The Egyptian Government had this as a key objective in their eyes because the power to control floods which brought famine to Egypt would change their country forever and it also generates hydroelectricity. It is situated in Aswan, in Egypt. The dam was started to be built in 1960 and was opened in 1970. It is 111 metres tall and 3,830 metres long. It's Surface area is 5,250 square kilometres and it's normal elevation is 183 metres high. It's maximum water depth is 180 metres deep. It's reservoir length is 550 km whereas it's width is 35. The amount of MW it's creates per average each day is 2,100. Create a free website

Question: On what river was the Aswan Dam built?
Answer: Nile