TaishirDamandReservoirontheZavkhanRiver:ImagesandImpressionsfromHerdersaffectedbytheDamandReservoir

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PaulRobinsonResearchDirector

SouthwestResearchandInformaDonCenterAlbuquerque,NewMexico,USA

sricpaul@earthlink.net

July29,2017

TheTaishirDamandReservoirandporDonsoftheZavkhanRiverValleydownstreamoftheDamwerevisitedaspartof“WaterandMiningExchangeProgram”coordinatedbyPaul

RobinsonwhichincludedrepresentaDvesofMongolianEnvironmentalCivilCouncil(MECC),RiverswithoutBoundaries,andBuryatRegionalOrganizaDononBaikal.

ThegroupvisitedthedamandmetwithoperaDngstaff,herderswhorelyontheZavkhanRiverforlivestockwaterandpasturedownstreamofthedamandherderslivetheupstreamporDons

ofthereservoir,anddrovecompletelyaroundthelake.

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TaishirDamandReservoir–GeneralInformaDon

(Photosfromh_ps://www.rccdams.co.uk/dams/taishir/?pages2pdf=1)PowerGeneraDonCapacity:11MWTurbineConfiguraDon:3X3.45MW,1X650kW(Francis)

TheDamandHydropowerStaDonarelocated50kmnortheastofAltaiontheZavkhanRiverattheborderofGobiAltaiandZavkhanaimags.In1998,aconsorDumofLahmeyer,IVOInternaDonal,andMCSInternaDonalcompletedafeasibilitystudyforthepowerstaDon.KuwaitFundforArabEconomicDevelopmentthencommissionedSnowyMountainsEngineeringCorptoprovideanalysisanddesignservicesfortheplant(alsoknownasUlaanboom),whichhasa190mlongRCCdamanda340kmtransmissionline.Thetotalcostwasabout$39mn,withfundingfromKFAEDandadevelopmentfundinAbuDhabi.Outputisexpectedtobeabout37GWh/yr.h_p://www.industcards.com/hydro-mongolia.htm

TheTaishirprojectwasdesignedtomaximizewintergeneraBon,withriparianreleasesthroughamicro-turbineinsummerwhenthereservoirisfilling.ThemostdisDnguishingfeatureoftheprojectisthe55mhighrollercompactedconcretegravitydamwithcrestelevaDonof1708m,crestlengthof190mandavolumeof250,000m3.

h_p://www.waterpowermagazine.com/projectprofiles/projectprofilesextreme-dam-building/ 2

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ViewAlongtheTopoftheSpillwayfortheDam

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ThePowerStaDonandChannelwhereWaterisDischargedintotheZavkhanRiverattheBaseoftheDam

CommentsandConcernsofAreaHerderswereheardduringmeeDngswithherdersJuly22-24,2017.MeeDngsincludingwithGovernorofthelocaldistrict–Bag–downstreamofdamsitealongtheZavkhanRiverandherdersinareasneartheupstreamporDonofthereservoir.

-GovernorsaisthetwoBagsdirectlydownstreamofDamsiteeachhaveabout100herderfamilies.TheZavkhanRiveristhesolesourceofwaterfortheherderssotheylivealongtheriverforhisBagandotherdownstream.-GovernorsaidherderswereseverelyaffectedbylossesoflargeporDonsoftheirherdswhiledamwasfillingasallflowsinZavkhanwascontainedindamtofillreservoirforseveralyears.HerdershavegrownaswaterwasallowedtoreturntotheRiver.-SincethehydropowerstaDonhasbeguntogenerateenergy,herdersreportedlargeslossesoflivestockduringwinterwhenthedamisreleasingitlargestflowstosupportoperaDonofpowerstaDonatpeaklevel.Herderssaidlivestockfellthroughiceformedaboveflowingwaterinriver.HerderatmeeDngreportedlossof600hearofca_le.BagGovernormenDonedlossof150horses.-Herderssaidlivestockfellthroughtheiceformedoverflowingwater.Herdersaidtheirwintersheltersforlivestockandgersandhomeshavefloodedduringpeakwinterflowsandherdershavehadtorelocatehomesandlivestockshelters.-Herderslivingupstreamofthereservoirandalongitshoresreportproblemofanimallossesduetogrowthof“poisonous”plants,parDcularduringdryperiods.Herdershaveconsultedinveterinariansduetoanimalslosses.-GovernorsaidherdersindownstreamBagshavenotreceivedcompensaDonforlossesduringthefillingofthelakeorasaresultofreleases.-HerderssaidthatculturalsitesweredestroyedincludingporDonsofhistoricmonasterylandsweredrownedbythereservoir.-HerdershavenotbenefitedfromelectricitygeneratedbythehydropowerstaDonaspowerisdistribuDonthroughtransmissionlinestoAltai,Govi-AltaiAimagCenterandZavkhanAimagCenter.5

ZavkhanRiverValleyDownstreamofTaishirDam

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ZavkhanRiverDownstreamofTaishirDam

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LivestockintheFloodplainoftheZavkhanRiverDownstreamofTaishirDam

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Herder’sGernearUpstreamEndofReservoir

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LivestockintheZavkhanRiverneartheUpstreamendoftheReservoir

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ReservoirwithDamintheDistance

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ViewofAreawhichPorDonsofaMonasterywheredrownedbytheReservoir

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ViewofAreawherePorDonsofaHistoricallyAndCulturallyImportantMonasterywheredrownedbytheReservoir

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LargestStructureatMonasterynexttoReservoir

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WinterShelterwhereLamasfromMonasterywereMassacred

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Taishir12/30/2016

MonasteryArea*

AreaofGernearUpstreamEndofReservoir*

AreanearImagesDownstreamofDam*

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SatelliteImagesshowingtheGrowthoftheReservoirfromGoogleEarth

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Taishir12/30/2007

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Taishir12/30/2008

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Taishir12/30/2011

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Taishir12/30/2015

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Taishir12/30/2016

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TaishirUpstream12/30/2007

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TaishirUpstream12/30/2012

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TaishirUpstream12/30/2015

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TaishirUpstream12/30/2016

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RenewableEnergySystemConstrucDonCostsandLandUseRequirementsinMongoliaTaishir–11MW-$39million-$3.54/wa_h_p://www.industcards.com/hydro-mongolia.htm

SalkhitWindFarm–50MW-$122million-$2.44/wa_h_ps://www.mo_mac.com/arDcle/2321/salkhit-wind-farm-mongoliaDarkhanSolarFarm–10MW–$17million-$1.7/wa_

h_ps://www.infomongol.mn/content/print/70894.htm

LandRequiredSolarPowerStaDonDarkhanSolarFarm-10MWpowerstaDon-29.1hectares(291,000m2)

2.91hectares/MWh_p://annx.asianews.network/content/operaDon-biggest-solar-power-plant-mongolia-commences-37624

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ViewofReservoirandMonastery

ThankyouforyourDmeanda_enDon28