Power adjusts the rhythm of the Euphrates: water passage stabilizes at 1100 m³/s

The Ministry of Energy announced  that the volume of water passing through the Euphrates Dam has been stable for 24 hours at about 1100 cubic meters per second, with the start of the partial closure of the third overflow gate in parallel with the continued decline in water imports coming from the Turkish side.

The ministry said in a statement that it has reduced water passes by 100 cubic meters per second , taking advantage of the decrease in the quantities of water coming from Turkey, explaining that the technical and engineering teams at the Euphrates Dam General Corporation continue to follow up on the water reality around the clock.

The Ministry of Energy confirmed its readiness to take the necessary operational measures to ensure the safety of water facilities and the stability of the water situation along the course of the Euphrates River.

Euphrates Dam Management: A Stepped Plan

A statement issued by the Euphrates  Dam General Corporation confirmed that the recent reduction in the quantities of water passing through the dam comes within a gradual technical plan that began with the closure of the third, then the fourth and fifth gates later, after the passes touched 1800 m³/s during the peak of the flow.

She added that as the wave of Turkish drainage from behind the Atatürk Dam recedes, it has become necessary to gradually adjust the overflow to maintain the safety of the gates and hydropower generation systems.

At the field level, the effects of the decline began to be evident in Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, where the river level fell days after its significant rise, causing  direct damage to about 3,000 families, flooding large agricultural areas, temporarily putting about 50 drinking water pumping stations out of service, in addition to damaging pontoon bridges and waterways connecting the two banks of the river.

Agriculture... The worst-hit sector

The recent flood of the Euphrates River left a series of extensive material damage in the provinces of Raqqa and Deir Ezzor, after the floodwaters swept through agricultural lands, water infrastructure and energy, in one of the most violent waves of rise the river has witnessed in years, according to field sources and local technical committees.

Sources in the Deir Ezzor Directorate of Agriculture confirmed that the flood hit the heart of agricultural production in the Eastern Province, where  between 22 and 25 thousand dunams of fertile land in areas such as Al-Khara, Hajin, Al-Kashkiyah and Baghiliya were flooded, which led to almost complete damage to wheat and barley crops that were about to be harvested, in addition to large losses in summer vegetables, cotton and mint nurseries.

The sources told "Syrian News" that the flood caused more than 10 agricultural associations to be out of service after the sinking of 42 government pumping engines and 410 private engines , in addition to the suspension of irrigation networks from feeding thousands of unsubmerged dunams.

She pointed out that despite the limited damage to livestock, the soil itself was exposed to erosion and water saturation, which caused it to lose the oxygen needed for the roots of plants.

Water Structure and Energy... Double Blow

Informed sources stressed that the infrastructure of the Euphrates Dam remained safe, but the pumping and filtering stations received a severe blow, as 83 water stations were completely out of service due to high turbidity and silt, and technical teams were only able to restart 13 stations, while 70 stations remained suspended pending the removal of sedimentation.

The sources told "Syrian News" that the water  flooded vital stations such as Baghouz II and Al-Shannan, which deprived hundreds of thousands of residents of drinking water, and revealed that the dam's management  was forced to modify the hydroelectric generation plans, and divert a large part of the drainage towards the overflow gates to protect the turbines from dense silt.

The sources pointed out that the force of the flow caused the collapse of temporary dirt and iron corridors and bridges, most notably  the earthen bridge in Deir Ezzor, the Al-Mariya Bridge,  and the Al-Bukamal-Al-Baghouz bridge, which caused the isolation of large parts of the countryside from the city centers.