Water Levels in Morocco’s Dams Reach 44%, Significant Improvement in Water Situation
The water situation in the Kingdom has shown a noticeable and qualitative improvement, thanks to recent rainfall and snowfall affecting several regions and provinces, according to the official data released by the Water Research and Planning Directorate under the Ministry of Equipment and Water.
The figures for the period from January 1 to 6 reflect a clear increase in water reserves across various basins and dams, with the overall filling rate rising from 39.62% to 43.96%. Predictions estimate that this could reach about 45% or more if the rainfall continues and the snow accumulated in several areas melts.
According to a comparison conducted by Hespress based on official data, the total volume of water imports increased by approximately 727.9 million cubic meters over just five days, reaching 7,369.62 million cubic meters, marking an annual improvement exceeding 15% compared to the same period last year, when the filling rate did not exceed 28.38%.
In terms of distribution, the Souss-Massa basin emerged as the largest beneficiary of the recent rainfall, with its dam filling rate soaring from 23.59% to 47.68%, bolstered by the increase in the filling of the Youssef Ben Tashfine dam from 16.46% to 35.85%, while the Moulay Abdellah dam reached full capacity.
The Ahel Sous dam also recorded a significant jump, with its filling rate rising from 8.58% to 96.43%. Meanwhile, the Loukkos basin maintained strong performance, with the dams of Ouadi al-Makhazin, Al-Nakhla, Chefchaouen, and Al-Sharif Al-Idrisi reaching 100% capacity.
The Abdi Rqraq basin continued to lead nationally, achieving a filling rate of 95.61%, with the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam nearing full capacity at 99.95%, ensuring a stable supply of drinking water for Rabat and Casablanca.
Despite the ongoing struggles of the Am Al-Rbib basin, which has the lowest filling rates in the country, its increase from 14% to 17% has been seen as a positive indicator, particularly after the improvement of the Al-Masira dam from 5.39% to 6.04%, and the Ben Wydane dam from 17.04% to 20.10%.
In this context, the list of dams achieving full capacity has expanded, with the addition of the Sidi Ali Ben Zayd dam in the Moulouya basin and the Bouhoud dam in the Sebou basin, alongside the Moulay Abdellah dam in Souss-Massa, as well as several smaller dams in the northern region.
Official data confirmed that this improvement has been evenly distributed across various regions of the Kingdom, which will help alleviate pressure on groundwater reserves, enhance the prospects for a successful agricultural season, and ensure sustainable drinking water supply.
On the daily imports front, data from the “Ma Dialna” platform indicated that the Unity Dam in the Taza province recorded the highest increase in water imports, reaching 50.9 million cubic meters, raising its filling rate to 55.9%.
The Youssef Ben Tashfine dam in the Tiznit province saw an increase of 25.7 million cubic meters, raising its filling rate to 35.8%, while the Ahmed Lhansali dam in the Beni Mellal province rose by 25.5 million cubic meters, bringing its filling rate to 38.1%.
Additionally, the Ben Wydane dam in the Azilal province benefited from additional imports of 25.3 million cubic meters, raising its filling rate to 20.1%, while the Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah dam in Rabat recorded an increase of 18.7 million cubic meters, allowing it to approach 100% capacity.
In the Settat province, the Al-Masira dam also experienced a water import increase of 12.1 million cubic meters, raising its filling rate to 6%.
