Haditha Dam storage tops six billion cubic meters

Shafaq News- Al-Anbar

Water storage at the Haditha Dam in Iraq's western Al-Anbar province has risen to more than 6 billion cubic meters, and Euphrates River levels remain within safe limits, the provincial Water Resources Directorate said on Saturday.

Director Jamal Odeh told Shafaq News that the Euphrates rose during September, but the increases were "not dangerous," and the flows remain under control.

A surge of water from Syria, where the river enters Iraq, was absorbed and stored in the dam's reservoir, Lake Haditha, he said.

Iraq's Water Resources Ministry, through its National Center for Water Resources Management, has raised the dam's downstream release to about 600 cubic meters per second, according to Odeh.

Part of that water is being diverted to Lake al-Habbaniyah, east of the provincial capital Ramadi, to replenish it and build up its strategic reserves. About 250 to 300 cubic meters per second currently flow into the lake through the al-Wadha regulator, Odeh said.

The plan is to capture water arriving from Syria and store it in the Haditha and al-Habbaniyah lakes to secure drinking water and irrigation supplies, he said. Iraq has faced severe water shortages in recent years, and Odeh said the success of this summer's water plan and the recovery of supplies in Al-Anbar make room for a larger winter crop plan.

Authorities are still warning residents and investors about sudden rises in the Euphrates. River patrol boats and security forces have been deployed in al-Qaim, al-Rumana and upper Rawa to prevent swimming and reduce the risk of drowning, as well as curb encroachments and farming inside the riverbed. The Water Resources and Agriculture directorates are also preparing a joint plan for the winter farming season, Odeh said.

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