Sarez Treat: An Article on Dam Safety in Russia by Uri Kazakov

A brief description of the potential for the failure of a natural embankment formed by a 1911 earthquake. The landslide-formed embankment, known as Usoi Dam, consists of sandstone blocks and an overlayment of soft fractured rock that contains approximately 40,000 cu. m. of buried ice. It impounds Sarez Lake, in the Tadzhik Republic , with a surface area of 85 sq. km. (33 sq. mi.) and a maximum depth of 500 m. It was estimated that the failure of the embankment would flood an area of 52,000 sq. km. (20,077 sq. mi.) in four countries affecting almost 5 million people. An eight year investigation, headed by Uri Kazakov, resulted in a proposal to tunnel through the embankment to lower the reservoir level by 100-150 m. Due to political and economic instability in the region, the plans were abandoned in 1992. [An abbreviated translation of "Sarez Treat" , by Uri Kazakov, an article from the Feb. 16, 1994 Russian Language Daily, published in NY.]

Members - Contact ASDSO for archived newsletters.