Tashar samar da wutar lantarki ta ruwa wadda dukkan ko mafi yawan ruwan da ke samar da wutar lantarki ke taruwa ta hanyar gine-ginen da ke riƙe da ruwa a kan kogin.

Tashoshin samar da wutar lantarki irin na madatsar ruwa galibi suna nufin tashoshin samar da wutar lantarki na ruwa waɗanda ke gina gine-ginen riƙe ruwa a kan kogin don samar da ma'ajiyar ruwa, tattara ruwan halitta don ɗaga matakin ruwa, da kuma amfani da bambancin kai don samar da wutar lantarki. Babban fasalin shine cewa madatsar ruwa da tashar samar da wutar lantarki suna cikin ɗan gajeren ɓangaren kogin.
Tashoshin wutar lantarki na ruwa irin na madatsar ruwa gabaɗaya sun haɗa da gine-ginen riƙe ruwa, gine-ginen fitar da ruwa, bututun matsi, tashoshin wutar lantarki, injinan turbines, janareta da kayan aiki na taimako. Yawancin tashoshin wutar lantarki na ruwa waɗanda ke da madatsun ruwa a matsayin gine-ginen riƙe ruwa sune tashoshin wutar lantarki na ruwa masu matsakaicin tsayi, kuma yawancin tashoshin wutar lantarki na ruwa waɗanda ke da ƙofofi a matsayin gine-ginen riƙe ruwa sune tashoshin wutar lantarki na ruwa masu ƙarancin kai. Idan kan ruwan bai yi tsayi ba kuma kogin yana da faɗi, ana amfani da tashar wutar lantarki sau da yawa a matsayin wani ɓangare na tsarin riƙe ruwa. Wannan nau'in tashar wutar lantarki ta ruwa ana kuma kiranta tashar wutar lantarki ta ruwa mai gefen kogi, wanda kuma tashar wutar lantarki ce ta ruwa mai nau'in madatsar ruwa.
Dangane da matsayin dam ɗin da kuma tashar samar da wutar lantarki ta ruwa, za a iya raba tashoshin samar da wutar lantarki ta ruwa zuwa rukuni biyu: nau'in dam ɗin da kuma gaɓar kogi. Ana shirya tashar samar da wutar lantarki ta ruwa ta ruwa a gefen ƙasa na jikin madatsar ruwan, kuma ana karkatar da ruwa ta hanyar bututun matsi don samar da wutar lantarki. Ita kanta madatsar ruwan ba ta ɗaukar matsin lamba daga sama. An gina tashar samar da wutar lantarki ta ruwa, madatsar ruwa, hanyar magudanar ruwa da sauran gine-ginen tashar samar da wutar lantarki ta ruwa a gefen kogi. Suna cikin tsarin riƙe ruwa kuma suna ɗaukar matsin lamba daga sama. Irin wannan tsari yana da amfani wajen adana jimillar jarin aikin.

Madatsar ruwan da ke bayan tashar samar da wutar lantarki ta ruwa yawanci tana da tsayi. Na farko, ana amfani da babban bututun don ƙara ƙarfin tashar samar da wutar lantarki da aka sanya, wanda zai iya daidaitawa da buƙatun tsarin wutar lantarki yadda ya kamata; na biyu, akwai babban ƙarfin madatsar ruwa don daidaita kwararar kololuwa don rage matsin lamba na sarrafa ambaliyar ruwa na kogin da ke ƙasa; na uku, fa'idodin gabaɗaya sun fi mahimmanci. Rashin kyau shine asarar ambaliyar ruwa a yankin madatsar ruwan yana ƙaruwa kuma ƙaura da sake tsugunar da mazauna birane da karkara yana da wahala. Saboda haka, tashoshin samar da wutar lantarki ta ruwa da ke bayan tashoshin samar da wutar lantarki masu manyan madatsun ruwa da manyan madatsun ruwa galibi ana gina su ne a cikin manyan kwaruruka, yankunan da ke da manyan kwararar ruwa da ƙananan ambaliyar ruwa.
Yawancin manyan tashoshin samar da wutar lantarki da aka gina a duniya suna cikin ƙasarmu. Na farko shine tashar samar da wutar lantarki ta Three Gorges, wacce ke da ƙarfin wutar lantarki mai nauyin kilowatts miliyan 22.5. Baya ga fa'idodin samar da wutar lantarki mai yawa, tashar samar da wutar lantarki ta Three Gorges kuma tana da fa'idodi masu yawa na tabbatar da shawo kan ambaliyar ruwa a tsakiya da ƙananan kogin Yangtze, inganta hanyoyin tafiya da amfani da albarkatun ruwa, kuma ana kiranta da "kayan aiki masu nauyi na ƙasar."