In the center of the picture is a pass through the mountains through which flows the Vakhsh River (there's a road in the background that points toward it). The Roghun hydropower station is being built across this pass. Construction of the dam is vehemently opposed by its neighbors Uzbekistan, who believe that is will deprive them (downstream) of much needed water resources. This is about as close to the construction site as I could get - security is tight!

The city of Obigarm comfortably nestled in a valley in central Tajikistan

The turn off for Roghun hydroelectric station in central Tajikistan

It's July 14th and there is still snow in the mountains! Here is a glacier in the Pamirs.

Wide river floodplain east of Dushanbe.

There's usually at least some water in it but not this summer.

Looking east on the road to Roghun (ObiGarm, Garm) central Tajikistan

Tomorrow I leave for Gharm on the map above to see the construction going on at the Roghun hydropower station - the one that is causing problems with its neighbors. The following pictures are from a trip south of Dushanbe. Tomorrow I head east. See maps at http://www2.onu.edu/~dsmith3/location_of_tajikistan.htm
Click on on "Older Posts" at the bottom of this page for more pictures, 'cause I have quite a few I think.

Mountain roads can be dangerous.

Nurek reservoir south of Dushanbe - beautiful!

The water level is lower than usual - global warming?

Nurek reservoir south of Dushanbe.

The weather was hot and dry so the atmosphere's a little bit hazy.

Tajik "beach houses" along the Vakhsh River south of Dushanbe.

My lunch table and waitress

Cooking rice the traditional way in Tajikistan. Saxaul wood is used to give it flavor.

This is at a restaurant in Norak south of Dushanbe.

Cooking "plov" (rice pilaf) the national dish of Tajikistan (omg soooo good)

Nurek (Norak) hydroelectric power plant. Currently the highest earthen dam in the world.

Truer words were never spoken. At least here in Central Asia.

Nurek dam - 300 m (almost 1000 ft) high is the largest earthen dam in the world.

Nurek dam - the highest earthen dam in the world, provides 98% of the electrical demand for southern Tajikistan. You can see it in the center of the picture in the background.

Overflow from Nurek dam in the background.

The Vakhsh River. In the background is the Nurek hydropower station, the highest earthen dam in the world.