Aswan High Dam

“Like many other dams, it also had pernicious downstream effects. In this case, a rising water table damaged urban sewer systems, ancient monuments, and agricultural fields. A lack of rich sediment in the water drove high artificial fertilizer use and wiped out fish populations.

Completed on July 21, 1970, the Aswan High Dam is 3,600 meters long, 980 meters wide at its base, 40 meters wide at the top, and 111 meters tall. It contains 43 million cubic meters of building material. Construction of the dam cost over $1 billion and took 10 years to complete.

The Aswan high dam releases around 46km² of water into irrigation canals every year. Approximately 33,600km² of the Nile valley and delta benefit from the water the high dam scheme provides. Both the low and high dams have protected Egypt from floods and droughts as well as boosting electricity production.