Heavy rains boost Duhok Dam water levels above 60%

Shafaq News- Duhok

Duhok Dam water levels have risen to more than 60% of capacity following heavy rainfall, the dam’s director said on Wednesday.

Farhad Mohammed told Shafaq News that Duhok province has recorded a significant increase in rainfall this year compared to last year, with total precipitation reaching around 240 mm so far, up from just 35 mm during the same period last year. “The rise in rainfall has led to an increase of about 30 centimeters in the reservoir’s water level to date,” he noted.

Earlier, the Duhok Meteorological Department announced that rainfall levels across the province had risen markedly compared to last year, with precipitation in the city center reaching about 98 mm, compared with 24 mm during the same period last year.

Explaining that Duhok Dam relies primarily on rainwater, Mohammed added that last year’s drought caused the soil to absorb large quantities of water at the beginning of the season. However, continued rainfall, particularly during the current month, has resulted in a clear rise in stored water levels.

He expected further substantial increases during February and March, which mark the peak of the rainy season, pointing out that efforts are underway to allocate a budget to address technical problems affecting the dam due to aging infrastructure and the nature of the terrain.