Medeu Dam

The Medeu Mudflow Control Dam (Kazakh: Медеу бөгеті, Medeý bógeti) is a dam across the Medeu Valley south-east of Almaty, Kazakhstan, designed to protect the city from devastating debris flows (or mudflows).

The river valley, steeply descending to the city from the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains, is highly susceptible to the formation of debris flows and/or mudflows.

The most severe of them was the catastrophic mudflow of 1921 in the Small Almaty valley, triggered by heavy rainfall.

It is estimated that if a repetition of the 1921 mudflow were to strike the city in the early 21st century, the damage would be on the order of US $100 million.

Mikhail Lavrentyev, the Siberian mathematician known for his work on the theory of "directed explosion", was among the scientific consultants of this construction-by-explosion project.

Looking down from Medeu Dam, toward the Medeu Skating Rink to the north
In the aftermath of the 1921 Malaya Almatinka debris flow . This is the kind of event that the Medeu Dam is designed to prevent
Sightseers climb Medeu Dam to get a good view of the Medeu Skating Rink