“Built on Sirvan River, the dam has a capacity to hold 280,000 cubic meters of water,” ISNA quoted him as saying.
Inflatable rubber dams are cylindrical rubber fabrics placed across channels, streams and rivers to raise the upstream water level when inflated. The fabric is flexible but has good wear-resistance characteristics.
Rubber dams were developed in the early 1950s and now there are more than 4,000 of such dams across the globe, the official said.
Rubber dams are one of the most useful and inexpensive ways to contain surface waters.
Enabling fish passage past diversion works, water retention for aquifer recharge, and protecting low-lying coastal areas from tidal flooding are other benefits of such dams.
The main advantage of rubber dams is there is no sediment accumulation. This is a big plus as it removes the need for dredging, which is costly and sometimes harmful for the environment.
Life of these structures is usually between 25 to 30 years, and after that the dams can be reused by replacing the rubber.
“There is a great potential in Iran, especially in water-rich areas such as Gilan Province, to use rubber dams,” Taqizadeh Khamesi said.
Construction of 11 inflatable rubber dams is underway in the northern province of Gilan to help the well-known rice farming region.