Water discharge
During the dry season, the Tigris basin's water demand will be larger, so the discharge must be greater. Water shortages would result in significant negative implications for downstream farmers relying on irrigated cultivation as well as wildlife.
The flood gates consist of a Bottom Outlet Operation:
Discharge of water from the reservoir following impoundment will be scheduled in order to sustain downstream biota and avoid hydrological impacts. During the wet season (April through to October) less water will be discharged in order to allow the reservoir to fill up. During the dry season, discharge will be increased to satisfy the needs of downstream communities and biota. The following discharge is recommended by the EIA:
From April through October: Qmin 04÷10 = 60 m3 /s + 0.5 x (Qinflow - 60) m3 /s
From November to March: Qmin 11÷03 = 100 m3 /s
It is expected that the modulation of water discharge will reduce the seasonal variations of the natural hydrological cycle, but also reduce the risks of floods. Additionally downstream communities will no longer experience drought.
The flood gates consist of a Bottom Outlet Operation:
- A maximum discharge capacity of 800 m3 /s at Normal Water Level
- A pair of 2 gates (Safety Gate and Operation Gate)
- Large flows to be released on temporary basis. The long term release of low flows under high pressure increases the risks of malfunction - especially serious vibrations as well as
cavitation damages. For this reason bottom outlets are rarely used for small flows with frequent daily adjustments of the gate
opening. Moreover, bottom outlets are generally temporary installments. This poses risks if ever the need arises to release large flows.
Discharge of water from the reservoir following impoundment will be scheduled in order to sustain downstream biota and avoid hydrological impacts. During the wet season (April through to October) less water will be discharged in order to allow the reservoir to fill up. During the dry season, discharge will be increased to satisfy the needs of downstream communities and biota. The following discharge is recommended by the EIA:
From April through October: Qmin 04÷10 = 60 m3 /s + 0.5 x (Qinflow - 60) m3 /s
From November to March: Qmin 11÷03 = 100 m3 /s
It is expected that the modulation of water discharge will reduce the seasonal variations of the natural hydrological cycle, but also reduce the risks of floods. Additionally downstream communities will no longer experience drought.