Zab River swells after heavy rains
Shafaq News – Kirkuk
Iraq’s Kirkuk received significant rainfall over the past 24 hours, raising water levels in the Zab River, local authorities said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the Water Resources Directorate reported that rainfall in Zab reached 25.5 mm, with daily cumulative precipitation in the province totaling 41 mm.
“The directorate continues to monitor river and dam levels to ensure water flows smoothly and storage is used efficiently,” the statement added.
Speaking to Shafaq News, water specialist Abdulrahman Hussein noted that the Zab River has risen noticeably, reinforcing tributaries and irrigation channels that serve farmland. He described the rainfall as a positive sign for the water season, indicating that no immediate flood risks are expected.
Zab river, one of the Tigris’ main tributaries, depends largely on releases from the Dokan Dam in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Al-Sulaymaniyah province. It sustains key agricultural areas and water projects in Hawija, Dibis, and the outskirts of Kirkuk. Earlier sources conveyed to Shafaq News that inflows from the dam have fallen to 15–20% of normal levels due to declining storage at Dokan.
Built in 1959, the Dokan Dam holds up to 6.8 billion cubic meters of water. It is one of Iraq’s oldest and most crucial reservoirs, providing irrigation, hydropower, and flood control across Al-Sulaymaniyah, Erbil, and Kirkuk.
