Aswan High Dam

High dam completed in 1970 (and formally inaugurated in January 1971) at a cost of about $1 billion. The Aswan High Dam yields enormous benefits to the economy of Egypt. For the first time in history, the annual Nile flood is under human control. The dam impounds the floodwaters, releasing them when needed to maximize their utility on irrigated land, to water hundreds of thousands of new hectares, to improve navigation both above and below Aswan, and to generate enormous amounts of hydroelectric power (the dam’s 12 turbines can generate 10 billion kilowatt-hours annually). The dam’s reservoir also supports a fishing industry.