Lake Volta
Navigable throughout the year
The Lake Volta is dammed by the Akosombo Dam and is located in the small town of Akosombo in southeastern Ghana (Africa). He is with an area of 8502 km ² the largest reservoir in the earth, which was created entirely by man. The dam was about 100 km northeast of the capital, Accra built. In addition to several other tributaries he dammed the Volta especially with its three source rivers ( Black, White and Red Volta ).
Geography
The Lake Volta is located in southeastern Ghana and extends - due to its elongated, irregularly shaped arms - until about the middle of the country and thereby influencing covers about one -tenth of the Volta Basin. He's about as big as the Wadden Sea over three states extending the North Sea. The Akosombo Dam is located about sixty miles from the coast, was built in the valley of the Volta, at the point where the river cuts through the mountain range Akwapim - Togo - chain. Due to the expansion of the reservoir lead the White Volta and the Black Volta, the Afram, Daka, Oti Pru and directly into the lake, thus they are dammed. In the white Volta flow before it enters the lake in the Red Volta, the Nasia and Kulpawn. At its eastern shore is Ghana's highest point, Mount Afadjato. Directly west - three-sided looped by the lake - is the Digya National Park. In the lake there are numerous islands and peninsulas of different sizes.
Dam
The dam, the building volume is 7.991 million cubic meters, was built 1961-1966 as the main part of the " Volta River Project ", to which also belongs the Kpong Dam. The 660 m long ( other data refer to 671 m crest length ) and 114 m high rockfill dam, which is 134 m high even to the foundation sole, not only serves hydropower generation, but also for flood protection.
Hydroelectric power station
The hydropower plant has six turbines, four of which together with 588 MW in 1965 and the remaining two 324 MW were installed in 1972. Together they provide 912 MW ( including 15 % reserve capacity). While the power produced was formerly used mainly for aluminum smelting, the overall demand for electricity in Ghana has risen so far that more power stations had to be built. To meet not only the needs of the country - the electricity is also exported to the neighboring African countries. This guaranteed contracts from the early days of the project.
Reservoir
Its storage volume has a potential capacity of approximately 153 billion cubic meters, equivalent to 153 km ³. It is thus based on the storage volume is the fifth largest reservoir in the world.
The Volta Dam was begun in 1961, when work began on the construction of the Akosombo Dam. Thus, the mass of water could flood the country, 78,000 people in other places and newly built had to be resettled. From the dam in southwestern Ghana to the city Yapei in northern Ghana it extends over 520 km. The dam project is the largest and most expensive ever to be realized in Ghana. The cost is estimated at 900 million euros.
Importance for the regional traffic
The Lake Volta received a considerable importance as a transport and trade since its establishment. It operated ferry services, often carrying more times a day people and light goods. Ferry connections exist between the following localities: Adawso - Ekyiamenfurom, Kete Krachi - Kwadwokrum, Yeji - Makango and Dambai - the north bank of the Oti. From Akosombo regular shipping is performed by Dodi Iceland. As a further consequence, however, lost the road link from Kumasi to Tamale on Yeji important (not to be dependent on the local ferry), and the main traffic shifted to the route via Techiman and Buipe.