Minister: Mosul Dam safety ‘reassuring’ with reservoir at secure levels

MOSUL — Water Resources Minister Muthanna al-Tamimi said Wednesday that Mosul Dam’s safety indicators are reassuring and its reservoir has reached secure levels, describing the facility as a top ministry priority backed by direct support from Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi.

Speaking during a visit to the dam, Tamimi said the ministry has closely monitored maintenance and upkeep work at the facility. “Safety and security indicators at Mosul Dam are reassuring and are being achieved at very good levels,” he said. The findings of the visit will be presented to the Council of Ministers to inform future plans.

Tamimi said the ministry is close to signing a contract with an international company to prepare technical studies evaluating options for maintaining the dam or constructing supporting irrigation facilities. The long-suspended Badush Dam project, halted since 1991, is expected to be included in a permanent solution for Mosul Dam through the same global consultancy contract.

The minister said storage levels across Iraq’s dams have improved noticeably but warned against complacency. “This does not mean being lenient in water resources management,” he said, stressing the need to rationalize consumption and avoid waste. Storage at Haditha Dam has reached comfortable levels following recent increases in water inflows, and the ministry follows a strict policy on water releases to ensure supplies reach areas of actual need while preserving strategic reserves.

Tamimi said Iraq is heading into a “relatively comfortable” water season and called on local governments to cooperate in regulating and distributing water allocations. He also highlighted Nineveh governorate’s role in future ministry plans, saying the Jazira Irrigation Project remains a priority in upcoming government agreements, with Nineveh among the governorates set to benefit most from future water development projects.

The minister added that the dam’s spillway was operated for the first time in more than seven years following the rise of reservoir levels to safe levels.