Smaqoli Dam in Koya reaches capacity, overflows despite below-average rainfall

KOYA — The Smaqoli Dam in Koya district, Erbil Governorate, has reached full capacity and overflowed, despite lower-than-average rainfall this season, according to local water authorities.

“After the recent days of rainfall, a good volume of water flowed from rivers and streams into the Smaqoli Dam, filling and causing it to overflow,” said Nawa Mohammed, head of the Koya Dam and Water Department, speaking to 964media.

Mohammed noted that no other dams in the district had reached capacity or overflowed this season. The Smaqoli Dam is one of the larger structures in the Kurdistan Region, with a storage capacity of about 8 million cubic meters.

Officials say the Kurdistan Region has 23 dams in total, with 11 more under construction, for a combined tally of 34 large, medium, and small dams. These are used primarily to boost water security, support agriculture, and generate hydroelectric power.

Among the region’s most notable are the Dukan Dam, built between 1954 and 1959 on the Little Zab River, and the Darbandikhan Dam on the Sirwan River, completed in 1961. Both serve multiple roles, including water storage, irrigation, and hydroelectric power generation.