Şırnak Dam

The Şırnak Dam is a gravity dam on the Ortasu River (a tributary of the Hezil River) about 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Şırnak town in Şırnak Province, southeast Turkey. Under contract from Turkey's State Hydraulic Works, AGE Inşaat began construction on the dam in 2008 and it was completed in 2012.[3]

Şırnak Dam
Location of Şırnak Dam in Turkey
Country	Turkey
Location	Şırnak, Şırnak Province
Coordinates	37°26′28.69″N 42°44′01.44″E
Purpose	Water supply, military
Status	Operational
Construction began	2008
Opening date	2012
Construction cost	US$31,680,000 (TL₺49,500,000)[1]
Owner(s)	State Hydraulic Works
Dam and spillways
Type of dam	Gravity, roller-compacted concrete
Impounds	Ortasu River
Height	56.8 m (186 ft)
Height (foundation)	66.8 m (219 ft)
Length	198 m (650 ft)
Elevation at crest	811.80 m (2,663 ft)
Width (crest)	8 m (26 ft)
Dam volume	157,000 m3 (205,348 cu yd)
Spillway type	Uncontrolled overflow
Spillway capacity	919 m3/s (32,454 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Catchment area	398.3 km2 (154 sq mi)
Power Station
Turbines	2 x 2.5 MW (planned)
Installed capacity	5 MW (planned)[2]

The reported purpose of the dam is water storage and it can also support a 5 MW hydroelectric power station in the future.[4] 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 Dam downstream of the Şırnak Dam on the Hezil River and upstream is the Uludere, Balli, Kavşaktepe, Musatepe and Çetintepe Dams 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.[5][6][7][8]