Aswan Dam destroy the whole crop, while low-water years could create widespread drought and associated famine. Both these events had continued to occur periodically. As Egypt's population grew and technology increased, both a desire and the ability developed to completely control the flooding, and thus both protect and support farmland and its economically important cotton crop. With the greatly increased reservoir storage provided by the High Aswan Dam, the floods could be controlled and the water could be stored for later release over multiple years. The Aswan Dam was designed by the Moscow-based Hydroproject Institute. The earliest recorded attempt to build a
Maskeliya Dam Maskeliya Dam The Maskeliya Dam (also known as the Maussakelle Dam) is a large gravity dam at Maskeliya, in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. Along with the Castlereigh Dam, the dams are the highest point and beginning of the Laxapana Hydropower Complex, involving a number of dams, penstocks, and hydroelectric power stations. The dam creates the Maskeliya Reservoir over the route of Maskeliya Oya, a major tributary of the Kelani River, which is the 4th longest in the country. A penstock from the Maskeliya Reservoir, measuring in diameter, transfers water directly to the Canyon Hydroelectric Power Station, located further