Euphrates flows from Syria more than four times last year’s level

BAGHDAD — Water entering Iraq from Syria along the Euphrates has risen to 680 cubic metres a second, up from 151 at the same point last year, allowing Haditha Dam to build storage while increasing releases downstream, the Water Resources Ministry said.

Haditha is releasing about 500 cubic metres a second toward the Middle Euphrates governorates against 325 a year ago, spokesperson Khalid Shamal said, leaving roughly 180 a second going into the reservoir. The lake holds about 4.8 billion cubic metres with 3.4 billion of capacity still free — enough to take about seven months to fill at the current rate.

Inflows depend on rainfall and temperatures in Turkey and Syria, Turkish water management decisions and Syrian system operations, Shamal said. Under existing understandings, flows crossing from Turkey into Syria should not fall below 500 cubic metres a second, and a separate Syrian-Iraqi arrangement divides what Syria receives, 58% to Iraq and 42% to Syria. The 500 figure applies to what Turkey allows across its border rather than a guaranteed allocation to Iraq.

Despite the increase, the ministry says flows remain too low to refill Lake Habbaniyah in Anbar.