Haditha Dam
Encyclopedia
The Haditha Dam or Qadisiya Dam is an earth-fill dam
on the Euphrates
, north of Haditha
(Iraq
), creating Lake Qadisiyah
. The dam is just over 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) long and 57 metres (187 ft) high. The purpose of the dam is to generate hydroelectricity
, regulate the flow of the Euphrates and provide water for irrigation
. It is the second-largest hydroelectric contributor to the power system in Iraq
behind the Mosul Dam
.
's Ministry of Energy as well as its power station being designed and constructed by Yugoslavian firms. It was conceived of as a multi-purpose dam that would generate hydroelectric power, regulate the flow of the Euphrates, and provide water for irrigation
. Construction lasted between 1977 and 1987 and was a joint undertaking by the Soviet Union
and Iraq. The cost of the initial construction of the Haditha Dam is estimated at US$830 million.
were flooded. Usiyeh was located on the right bank of the Euphrates between Haditha and Anah and was excavated by the Japanese Archaeological Expedition in Iraq between 1982 and 1983. A multi-room underground structure along with a staircase, four life-size lion terracotta statues, three medium-sized lion statues and one lion statuette were found. These findings in the dated back to 1800–1700 BC Ancient Anah
was also flooded and contained a prized minaret
. Today, only modern Anah
exists.
, United States Army Rangers
seized the Haditha Dam on 1 April in order to prevent it from being destroyed. Destruction of the dam would have significantly affected the functioning of the country's electrical grid and could cause a major flooding downstream from the dam. Since then, various U.S. Marine units had been stationed at the dam, as well as a small detachment from Azerbaijan.
In 2004, the Gulf Region Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE
) carried out restoration works on one of the turbines
to restore the dam's hydroelectric power station to full capacity. According to the Coalition Provisional Authority
, the inauguration of this turbine on 3 June 2004 signified the first time since 1990 that the power station operated at full capacity. In the same year, a new power line was established between Haditha and Baghdad with the help of the USACE to restore a line that had previously been destroyed. This new line, stretching over a distance of 223 kilometres (138.6 mi) with 504 towers, has a capacity of 400 kV and allows 350 MW from the Haditha Dam to be added to the national electrical grid. The cost of the line was US$56.7 million and was paid by Iraq's oil revenues.
and 20 metres (65.6 ft) wide. Total volume of the dam is 0.03 cubic kilometre (0.0071973827581286 cu mi). In cross-section, the dam consists of an asphaltic concrete cutoff wall at its core, followed by mealy 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 turbine
s 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 11000 cubic metres (388,461.3 cu ft) per second. Two bottom outlets on the dam can discharge 3000 cubic metres (105,944 cu ft) per second for irrigation. Both these outlets and the spillway are controlled by tainter gate
s.
The Haditha Reservoir or Lake Qadisiyah has a maximum water storage capacity of 8.3 cubic kilometres (2 cu mi) and a maximum surface area of 500 square kilometres (193.1 sq mi). Actual capacity is however 7 cubic kilometres (1.7 cu mi), at which size the surface area is 415 square kilometres (160.2 sq mi). At maximum capacity, annual evaporation
from the lake is estimated at 0.6 cubic kilometre (0.143947655162572 cu mi).
Embankment dam
An embankment dam is a massive artificial water barrier. It is typically created by the emplacement and compaction of a complex semi-plastic mound of various compositions of soil, sand, clay and/or rock. It has a semi-permanent waterproof natural covering for its surface, and a dense, waterproof...
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...
, north of Haditha
Haditha
Haditha is a city in the western Iraqi Al Anbar Governorate, about 240 km northwest of Baghdad. It is a farming town situated on the Euphrates River at . Its population of around 100,000 people is predominantly Sunni Muslim Arabs...
(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....
), creating Lake Qadisiyah
Lake Qadisiyah
A man-made reservoir in Al-Anbar, Iraq, Lake Qadisiyah sits on the north side of the Haditha Dam.Qadisiyah was formed by the damming of the Euphrates River above Haditha, Iraq...
. The dam is just over 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) long and 57 metres (187 ft) high. The purpose of the dam is to generate hydroelectricity
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...
, regulate the flow of the Euphrates and provide water 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...
. It is the second-largest hydroelectric contributor to the power system in 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....
behind the Mosul Dam
Mosul Dam
Mosul Dam or Chambarakat Dam, formerly known as Saddam Dam , is the largest dam in Iraq. It is located on the Tigris River in the western governorate of Ninawa, upstream of the city of Mosul. The hydroelectric dam holds, at full capacity, about of water and provides electricity to the...
.
Project history
The Haditha Dam was conceived in the late 1960s but construction did not begin until 1977. The Haditha Dam's embankment was designed by the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
's Ministry of Energy as well as its power station being designed and constructed by Yugoslavian firms. It was conceived of as a multi-purpose dam that would generate hydroelectric power, regulate the flow of the Euphrates, and provide water 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...
. Construction lasted between 1977 and 1987 and was a joint undertaking by the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and Iraq. The cost of the initial construction of the Haditha Dam is estimated at US$830 million.
Flooding of Usiyeh and Anah
With the creation of the Haditha Reservoir, the ancient archeological site of Usiyeh along with AnahAnah
Anah, or Ana, is an Iraqi town on the Euphrates river, approximately mid-way between the Gulf of Alexandretta and the Persian Gulf.-Etymology:...
were flooded. Usiyeh was located on the right bank of the Euphrates between Haditha and Anah and was excavated by the Japanese Archaeological Expedition in Iraq between 1982 and 1983. A multi-room underground structure along with a staircase, four life-size lion terracotta statues, three medium-sized lion statues and one lion statuette were found. These findings in the dated back to 1800–1700 BC Ancient Anah
Anah
Anah, or Ana, is an Iraqi town on the Euphrates river, approximately mid-way between the Gulf of Alexandretta and the Persian Gulf.-Etymology:...
was also flooded and contained a prized minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
. Today, only modern Anah
Anah
Anah, or Ana, is an Iraqi town on the Euphrates river, approximately mid-way between the Gulf of Alexandretta and the Persian Gulf.-Etymology:...
exists.
After the 2003 invasion
During the 2003 invasion of Iraq2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
, United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers
United States Army Rangers are elite members of the United States Army. Rangers have served in recognized U.S. Army Ranger units or have graduated from the U.S. Army's Ranger School...
seized the Haditha Dam on 1 April in order to prevent it from being destroyed. Destruction of the dam would have significantly affected the functioning of the country's electrical grid and could cause a major flooding downstream from the dam. Since then, various U.S. Marine units had been stationed at the dam, as well as a small detachment from Azerbaijan.
In 2004, the Gulf Region Division of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
) carried out restoration works on one of the turbines
Water turbine
A water turbine is a rotary engine that takes energy from moving water.Water turbines were developed in the 19th century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical grids. Now they are mostly used for electric power generation. They harness a clean and renewable energy...
to restore the dam's hydroelectric power station to full capacity. According to the Coalition Provisional Authority
Coalition Provisional Authority
The Coalition Provisional Authority was established as a transitional government following the invasion of Iraq by the United States and its allies, members of the Multi-National Force – Iraq which was formed to oust the government of Saddam Hussein in 2003...
, the inauguration of this turbine on 3 June 2004 signified the first time since 1990 that the power station operated at full capacity. In the same year, a new power line was established between Haditha and Baghdad with the help of the USACE to restore a line that had previously been destroyed. This new line, stretching over a distance of 223 kilometres (138.6 mi) with 504 towers, has a capacity of 400 kV and allows 350 MW from the Haditha Dam to be added to the national electrical grid. The cost of the line was US$56.7 million and was paid by Iraq's oil revenues.
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 (1,148.3 ft) whereas the secondary channel was 50 metres (164 ft) wide. The hydroelectric station is located in this secondary channel. The Haditha Dam is 9064 metres (29,737.5 ft) long and 57 metres (187 ft) high, with the hydropower station at 3310 metres (10,859.6 ft) from the dam's southern edge. The crest is at 154 metres (505.2 ft) AMSLAbove mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
and 20 metres (65.6 ft) wide. Total volume of the dam is 0.03 cubic kilometre (0.0071973827581286 cu mi). In cross-section, the dam consists of an asphaltic concrete cutoff wall at its core, followed by mealy 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 turbine
Kaplan turbine
The Kaplan turbine is a propeller-type water turbine which has adjustable blades. It was developed in 1913 by the Austrian professor Viktor Kaplan, who combined automatically adjusted propeller blades with automatically adjusted wicket gates to achieve efficiency over a wide range of flow and...
s capable of generating 660 MW. The turbines are installed in a hydrocombine unit that comprises both the spillway
Spillway
A spillway is a structure used to provide the controlled release of flows from a dam or levee into a downstream area, typically being the river that was dammed. In the UK they may be known as overflow channels. Spillways release floods so that the water does not overtop and damage or even destroy...
and the hydro-powerplant in one structure. Maximum discharge
Discharge (hydrology)
In hydrology, discharge is the volume rate of water flow, including any suspended solids , dissolved chemical species and/or biologic material , which is transported through a given cross-sectional area...
of the spillway is 11000 cubic metres (388,461.3 cu ft) per second. Two bottom outlets on the dam can discharge 3000 cubic metres (105,944 cu ft) per second for irrigation. Both these outlets and the spillway are controlled by tainter gate
Tainter gate
The Tainter gate is a type of radial arm floodgate used in dams and canal locks to control water flow. It is named for Wisconsin structural engineer Jeremiah Burnham Tainter....
s.
The Haditha Reservoir or Lake Qadisiyah has a maximum water storage capacity of 8.3 cubic kilometres (2 cu mi) and a maximum surface area of 500 square kilometres (193.1 sq mi). Actual capacity is however 7 cubic kilometres (1.7 cu mi), at which size the surface area is 415 square kilometres (160.2 sq mi). At maximum capacity, annual evaporation
Evaporation
Evaporation is a type of vaporization of a liquid that occurs only on the surface of a liquid. The other type of vaporization is boiling, which, instead, occurs on the entire mass of the liquid....
from the lake is estimated at 0.6 cubic kilometre (0.143947655162572 cu mi).