Underground Dams and Türkiye’s Experience

Underground dams are structures where water is stored in the aquifer by building a barrier against groundwater flow and is obtained by gravity or/and pumping. There are records that underground dams have been built since the Roman period, but today they have become more common, their sizes have increased, and construction techniques have developed and diversified.
There was an effort in the construction of underground dams in Türkiye in the 2000s. Yahşihan in Kırıkkale, Malıboğazı in Ankara, İskilip in Çorum and Baskil underground dam in Elazığ are the famous ones. These dams are still in service. State Hydraulic Works (DSİ), which is the authorized institution for water resources in Türkiye, has implemented between 2019 and 2023 a project named "Underground Dams Action Plan". With this action plan it was planned to construct at least 100 underground dams and groundwater artificial recharge facilities in various regions of the country. The actual number is much higher than planned. This book covers from the site selection to operation phases, as well as Türkiye's experience in the last 20 years on underground dams.