The Karun-3 dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Karun river in the province of Khuzestan, Iran. It was built to help meet Iran's energy demands as well as to provide flood control.^[2] The Karun has the highest discharge of Iran's rivers.

The purpose of the dam is for power generation and flood control. The Karun III power generators are connected to the national power network as the peak power generation. With this power plant being operated, with the capacity of 2,280 MW, and an average annual electric power generation of 4,137 GWh, a major portion of the electric power shortage in the country will be met.

The Karun-3 dam is a concrete double arch type, 205 m (673 ft) high from the foundation and 185 m (607 ft) high from the river bed. Its foundation width is 29.5 m (97 ft).

The arch dam design is an ideal one for a dam built in a narrow, rocky gorge to hold back water in a reservoir. Because of the arch shape, the force of the backed up water presses downward against the dam and has the effect of strengthening the dam foundation.

Karun-3 Dam
Locale	Khuzestan, Iran
Opening date	2005
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch dam
Height	205 m (673 ft)
Length	462 m (1,516 ft)
Base width	29.5 m (97 ft)
Impounds	Karun River
Spillway capacity	15,000 m3/s (530,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Capacity	2,970,000,000 m3 (2,410,000 acre·ft)
Surface area	48 km2 (19 sq mi)
Power station
Type	No
Installed capacity	2,280 MW
Annual generation	4,137 GWh

The Masjed Soleyman Hydroelectric Dam previously named "Godar-e Landar" is Hydroelectric power plant in Iran on the Karun river. It is about 164 metres (538 ft) high and generates 2,000 MW of power, and its reservoir holds 228,000,000 cubic metres (185,000 acre·ft) of water. The dam is a rockfill structure with a clay core built for the Iran Water and Power Resources Development Co. The hydroelectric dam was named after the town of Masjed-Soleyman, about 25 kilometres (16 mi) away. The spillway gates are believed to be the largest of their kind in the world.

Masjed Soleyman Dam
Locale	Masjed-Soleyman, Iran
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Rockfill dam
Height	164 m (538 ft)
Length	480 m (1,570 ft)
Impounds	Karun River
Spillway capacity	21,700 m3/s (770,000 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Capacity	228,000,000 m3 (8.1×109 cu ft)
Catchment area	27,548 km2 (10,636 sq mi)
Power station
Installed capacity	1,000 MW
Maximum capacity	2,000 MW
Annual generation	3,700 GWh

The Shahid Abbaspour Dam (Karun-1 Dam) is a large arch dam providing hydroelectricity from the Karun River; it is located about 50 km northeast of Masjed Soleiman, in the province of Khuzestan, Iran, and originally completed in 1976, and formerly named "Reza Shah Kabir Dam". The Karun-1 Hydroelectric Dam was the first of a series of dams planned for development on the Karun River.

The dam is a double-curvature concrete arch type, 200 m (660 ft) high from the foundation rock. Its crest width is 6 m (20 ft). The arch dam design was chosen for the narrow, rocky gorge where it is located. The double-curvature arch design withstands the pressure created by the reservoir with a minimum of concrete, because the shape transmits the force of the reservoir downward and laterally, against the rock foundation; this has the effect of strengthening the dam concrete and its foundation by keeping it in compression.

The Karun-1 Hydroelectric Dam houses two power stations, one built in 1976 and another built in 1995. Each contains four water turbines connected to electric generators of 250 MW, for a combined generating capacity of 2,000 MW. The dam's electrical output is connected to the national electrical grid, with most generation occurring during periods of peak demand for electricity.

Shahid Abbaspour Dam (Karun-1 Dam)
Locale	Khuzestan, Iran
Coordinates	32°07′00″N 49°37′00″E / 32.1166667°N 49.6166667°E / 32.1166667; 49.6166667 / 32.1166667; 49.6166667
Opening date	1976
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Arch dam
Height	200 m (660 ft)
Length	380 m (1,250 ft)
Impounds	Karun River
Reservoir
Capacity	3,139,000,000 m3 (1.109×1011 cu ft)
Surface area	54.8 km2 (21 sq mi)
Power station
Type	No
Turbines	8 × 250 MW
Installed capacity	2,000 MW