Zayandeh Rud Dam
Commissioned in 1970 after construction began in 1966, Zayandeh Rud Dam is a concrete double-arch dam in Chadegan County. Dimensions are 100 m in height from foundation, 450 m crest length and 5.6 m crest width. It supports flood control, agricultural-water regulation and associated hydropower generation; a reference source reports annual generation of 250 million kWh.
Strategic and market-access role
Zayandeh Rud Dam matters in the Hormuz Graph because it is tied to one of Iran’s most economically sensitive water systems, where upstream storage and allocation affect Isfahan’s urban demand, agriculture, industry, environmental flows, and interprovincial water tension. Its role is not simply reservoir capacity; it connects water scarcity, public allocation decisions, farming livelihoods, industrial feasibility, urban services, and ecological stress across the central plateau. The asset is especially important for understanding how water constraints shape investment risk in Isfahan-linked manufacturing, agriculture, real estate, and public infrastructure.
Operations, capacity & connectivity
Related use cases
Useful for basin-level water-risk assessment, industrial and agricultural site screening, public-project monitoring, urban-services resilience review, environmental-risk analysis, and interprovincial resource-constraint mapping. Analysts can use it to evaluate how reservoir conditions and allocation decisions affect Isfahan, upstream communities, farming areas, and water-sensitive industries. Practical checks should verify current reservoir levels, drought exposure, allocation rules, downstream environmental impacts, and public-sector management constraints.
Capacity and service area
Capacity: Usable reservoir volume: 1,090 million cubic metres (MCM). Total volume is disputed: the Isfahan Regional Water Company reports 1,250 MCM at elevation 2,095 m, while a reference source reports 1,470 MCM. Service area: Downstream agricultural lands; reported regulation coverage is 100,000 hectares.
Industries served
Agriculture; water utilities; hydropower.
Ownership, operation & expansion
Owner and operator
Operator: Isfahan Regional Water Company
Opening or commissioning
1970
Constraints, risk & compliance
Key risks and compliance considerations
Total reservoir-capacity reporting is inconsistent across available sources. Current storage, releases, allocation rules and drought-related operating conditions require separate, time-specific verification.
Connected Intelligence
Relevant geography, industry, market and execution context for this profile.
Frequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions most likely to arise when reviewing this profile.
Where is Zayandeh Rud Dam located?
Zayandeh Rud Dam is in Chadegan County, Isfahan Province, Iran, approximately 110 km west of Isfahan.
Who operates Zayandeh Rud Dam?
The Isfahan Regional Water Company operates the dam and its associated power plant. The company operates under Iran’s Ministry of Energy.
What is the reservoir capacity of Zayandeh Rud Dam?
Usable reservoir volume is reported consistently as 1,090 million cubic metres. Total-volume figures differ between supplied sources: 1,250 MCM is reported by the Isfahan Regional Water Company and 1,470 MCM by a reference source.
What functions does Zayandeh Rud Dam serve?
Reported functions include flood control, regulation of agricultural water for 100,000 hectares of downstream land and associated hydropower generation.