Kurdistan Region dam inflows surge as rainfall far exceeds last year

ERBIL — New data obtained by 964media show sharp increases in inflows to Dukan and Darbandikhan dams, with rainfall far higher than the same period last year, boosting stored water volumes across key reservoirs in the Kurdistan Region.

At Dukan Dam, which has a storage capacity of 7 billion cubic meters, the water level reached 488.55 meters, up from 488.36 meters a year earlier. Inflow was 759 cubic meters per second, compared with 46 last year, while rainfall measured 481.6 millimeters, up from 138.2 millimeters.

Stored water at Dukan stood at 2.03 billion cubic meters, leaving 4.77 billion cubic meters of remaining capacity. Outflow was 35 cubic meters per second.

Based on current flows, 964media calculations show the reservoir is gaining 724 cubic meters per second of net inflow. At that rate, Dukan could reach overflow around April 26 — about two and a half months — if conditions remain unchanged.

At Darbandikhan Dam, the water level reached 475.90 meters, up 2.29 meters from last year. Inflow was 315 cubic meters per second, compared with 127 a year earlier, while rainfall reached 658.8 millimeters versus 256.6 millimeters last year.

Stored water totaled 1.72 billion cubic meters, with 0.85 billion cubic meters of capacity remaining — 0.15 billion cubic meters higher than last year.

At Duhok Dam, rainfall reached 346.4 millimeters, compared with 54.8 millimeters last year. The water level stood at 606.89 meters, lower than 610.45 meters a year earlier, with inflow at 7.7 cubic meters per second.

Heavy rains lift Kurdistan Region dams, restart power generation at Dukan