To this point we have been discussing, almost exclusively, the old Aswan Dam, which is also called the Low Aswan Dam. About 60 years after the completion of the Low Dam, it was decided that another dam would have to be built to accommodate the growing needs of the population of Egypt.

The Aswan High Dam

The High Dam was another feat of engineering, built in the 1960's. The Dam is over 11,000 feet long, approximately 3200 feet thick its base and towers 364 feet in the air. It is said that it contains about 18 times the amount of material as was used in the Great Pyramid of Cheops. The High Dam was built 6 km down river from the Low Dam, and together the dams provide irrigation and electricity for all of Egypt. Also, the world's largest man-made resevoir, Lake Nassar, was created at the same time.

Like the Low Dam, construction of the High Dam also had noticable effects on the environment. The High Dam created 30% more cultivatable land in Egypt, raised the water table for the Shara as far away as Algeria, and doubled Egypt's supply of available electricity. Additionally, the creation of Lake Nassar has changed the landscape drastically.

An in-depth discussion of the High Aswan Dam is beyond the scope of this website. A more detailed look at the High Dam can be found here: