Balli Dam

Dam in Uludere, Şırnak Province

37°24′24.99″N 42°49′56.75″E / 37.4069417°N 42.8324306°E / 37.4069417; 42.8324306PurposeWater supply, militaryStatusUnder constructionConstruction began2008Construction costUS$65,920,000 (TL103,000,000) (Combined cost with Uludere Dam)^[1]Owner(s)State Hydraulic WorksDam and spillwaysType of damGravity, roller-compacted concreteImpoundsOrtasu RiverHeight49 m (161 ft)Elevation at crest960 m (3,150 ft)Width (crest)8 m (26 ft)Dam volume99,451 m³ (130,077 cu yd)Spillway typeOverflowReservoirInactive capacity7,090,000 m³ (5,748 acre⋅ft)Catchment area177 km² (68 sq mi)Normal elevation958 m (3,143 ft)Power StationInstalled capacity8.36 MW (max. planned)^[2]

The Balli 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, construction on the dam began in 2008 and a completion date has not been announced.^[2]

The reported purpose of the dam is water storage and it can also support an 8.36 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 in close proximity 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 and Uludere Dams downstream of the Balli Dam and the Kavşaktepe, Musatepe and Çetintepe Dams 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]

Balli dam was still under construction as of March 2019, with construction works 95% complete at that time.^[7]

References

^ "Balli Dam construction tender". DGMarkets. 2008. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c "DSI 10 REGIONAL OFFICE - Diyarbakir" (in Turkish). State Hydraulic Works. Archived from the original on 21 November 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
^ "Terror Down" (in Turkish). Posta. 24 August 2012. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
^ "Planned to be completed in the second dam on the border against the PKK" (in Turkish). Hurriyet. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
^ "Dams Prevent Smuggling at the Border" (in Turkish). Aktif Haber. 5 May 2013. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
^ "Water retention dams began operation against PKK" (in Turkish). CNNTurk. 23 August 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
^ Ki, Tercan Dedi (2019-03-13). "Şırnak'a Baraj ve HES Yatırımları Devam Ediyor!". Enerji Portalı (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-04-24.