Haditha Dam - Characteristics of The Dam and The Reservoir

Characteristics of The Dam and The Reservoir

The dam is situated in a narrow stretch of the Euphrates Valley where a small secondary channel branched off the main channel. The width of the main channel was 350 metres (1,150 ft) whereas the secondary channel was 50 metres (160 ft) wide. The hydroelectric station is located in this secondary channel. The Haditha Dam is 9,064 metres (29,738 ft) long and 57 metres (187 ft) high, with the hydropower station at 3,310 metres (10,860 ft) from the dam's southern edge. The crest is at 154 metres (505 ft) AMSL and 20 metres (66 ft) wide. Total volume of the dam is 0.03 cubic kilometres (0.0072 cu mi). In cross-section, the dam consists of an asphaltic concrete cutoff wall at its core, followed by meally detrital dolomites, and a mixture of sand and gravel. These materials were chosen because they are readily available near the construction site. This core is protected by a reinforced concrete slab revetment on the upstream side of the dam, and a rock-mass revetment on the downstream side.

The power station contains six Kaplan turbines capable of generating 660 MW. The turbines are installed in a hydrocombine unit that comprises both the spillway and the hydro-powerplant in one structure. Maximum discharge of the spillway is 11,000 cubic metres (390,000 cu ft) per second. Two bottom outlets on the dam can discharge 3,000 cubic metres (110,000 cu ft) per second for irrigation. Both these outlets and the spillway are controlled by tainter gates.

The Haditha Reservoir or Lake Qadisiyah has a maximum water storage capacity of 8.3 cubic kilometres (2.0 cu mi) and a maximum surface area of 500 square kilometres (190 sq mi). Actual capacity is however 7 cubic kilometres (1.7 cu mi), at which size the surface area is 415 square kilometres (160 sq mi). At maximum capacity, annual evaporation from the lake is estimated at 0.6 cubic kilometres (0.14 cu mi).