Fallujah Barrage
Encyclopedia
The Fallujah Barrage is a barrage
on the Euphrates
near Fallujah
in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq
. Construction of the barrage was completed in 1985. Unlike many other dams in the Euphrates, the Fallujah Barrage does not include a hydroelectric
power station and its main function is to raise the water level of the river for irrigation
. The barrage consists of two separate parts. The main stretch of the barrage has ten gates measuring 16 by 8.5 m (52.5 by 27.9 ft), allowing a maximum discharge of 3600 cubic metres (127,132.8 cu ft) per second. The second part on the left bank of the river has eight gates that are 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide. These gates divert water toward two separate irrigation channels. Their maximum discharge is 104 cubic metres (3,672.7 cu ft) per second.
The construction of the Fallujah Barrage was first proposed in 1923 as part of a large project to increase the production of cotton
in Iraq. Construction of the barrage did however start only much later. The barrage was constructed adjacent to the actual Euphrates channel so that the water did not have to be diverted during construction. The Euphrates flow was only diverted toward the barrage in 1985 when it was completed. It was intended that 225000 hectares (555,986.6 acre) would be irrigated as part of this project. After the 2003 invasion in Iraq, repairs have been carried out at the Fallujah Barrage.
Barrage (dam)
A barrage is a type of dam which consists of a line of large gates that can be opened or closed to control the amount of water passing the dam. The gates are set between flanking piers which are responsible for supporting the water load...
on the Euphrates
Euphrates
The Euphrates is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia...
near Fallujah
Fallujah
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. Construction of the barrage was completed in 1985. Unlike many other dams in the Euphrates, the Fallujah Barrage does not include a hydroelectric
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
power station and its main function is to raise the water level of the river for irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
. The barrage consists of two separate parts. The main stretch of the barrage has ten gates measuring 16 by 8.5 m (52.5 by 27.9 ft), allowing a maximum discharge of 3600 cubic metres (127,132.8 cu ft) per second. The second part on the left bank of the river has eight gates that are 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide. These gates divert water toward two separate irrigation channels. Their maximum discharge is 104 cubic metres (3,672.7 cu ft) per second.
The construction of the Fallujah Barrage was first proposed in 1923 as part of a large project to increase the production of cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
in Iraq. Construction of the barrage did however start only much later. The barrage was constructed adjacent to the actual Euphrates channel so that the water did not have to be diverted during construction. The Euphrates flow was only diverted toward the barrage in 1985 when it was completed. It was intended that 225000 hectares (555,986.6 acre) would be irrigated as part of this project. After the 2003 invasion in Iraq, repairs have been carried out at the Fallujah Barrage.