Daryan Dam and Reservoir

Quick Facts

• Type: Embankment dam
• Height: 169 m
• Reservoir area: About 10 km²
• Location: Kermanshah Province, Iran

Overview

Daryan Dam is an embankment dam on the Sirwan River in western Iran, built to support irrigation and hydropower. Construction began in 2009 and the dam opened in 2018, creating a long reservoir in the Hawraman valleys.

The project reshaped parts of the upper Sirwan basin, creating new water storage while also affecting archaeological sites and river landscapes.

Landscape and Culture

The reservoir sits among steep Zagros slopes and has become a new element of the Hawraman landscape. Local communities continue to rely on the Sirwan’s flow, now regulated by the dam, for farming and seasonal water needs.

Notes

Archaeological surveys in the area documented sites such as Kenacheh Cave before inundation.