Lake Assad (Arabic: بحيرة الأسد, Buhayrat al-Assad) is a reservoir on the Euphrates in Raqqa Governorate, Syria. It was created in 1974 when construction of the Tabqa Dam was completed. Lake Assad is Syria's largest lake, with a maximum capacity of 11.7 cubic kilometres (2.8 cu mi) and a maximum surface area of 610 square kilometres (240 sq mi). A vast network of canals uses water from Lake Assad to irrigate lands on both sides of the Euphrates. In addition, the lake provides drinking water for the city of Aleppo and supports a fishing industry. The shores of Lake Assad have developed into important ecological zones.
Lake Assad بحيرة الأسد
Lake Assad (left), Tabqa Dam (centre), and Baath Dam (right). The photo was taken on STS-78, June 1996. North is in the upper left corner of the image.
The first plans for a dam in the Syrian part of the Euphrates date to 1927, but these were not carried out. In 1957, an agreement was reached with the Soviet Union for technical and financial aid for the construction of a dam in the Euphrates, and in 1960 a financial agreement was signed with West Germany. Another agreement to finance the project was signed with the Soviet Union in 1965.[1] The project included a hydroelectric power station in the Tabqa Dam, and the construction of a vast irrigation network capable of irrigating 640,000 hectares (2,500 sq mi) of land on both sides of the Euphrates.[2][3] Construction of the dam lasted between 1968 and 1973 and the flooding of the reservoir commenced in 1974 by reducing the flow of the Euphrates. The project was completed under the presidency of Hafez al-Assad as part of his modernization policies and agricultural reforms.[4] In 1975, Iraq complained that the flow of the Euphrates had been reduced below an acceptable level and threatened to bomb the Tabqa Dam; mediation by Saudi Arabia and the Soviet Union eventually settled this dispute.[5]
The maximum capacity of Lake Assad is 11.7 cubic kilometres (2.8 cu mi) at a surface area of 610 square kilometres (240 sq mi), making it the largest lake in Syria. The actual capacity is, however, much lower at 9.6 cubic kilometres (2.3 cu mi), resulting in a surface area of 447 square kilometres (173 sq mi).[7] The proposed irrigation scheme suffered from a number of problems, including the high gypsum content in the reclaimed soils around Lake Assad, soil salinization, the collapse of canals that distributed the water from Lake Assad, and the unwillingness of farmers to resettle in the reclaimed areas. As a result, only 60,000 hectares (230 sq mi) were irrigated from Lake Assad in 1984.[8] In 2000, the irrigated surface had risen to 124,000 hectares (480 sq mi), which is 19 percent of the projected 640,000 hectares (2,500 sq mi).[9][10] Lake Assad is the most important source of drinking water to Aleppo, providing the city through a pipeline with 80,000,000 cubic metres (2.8×109 cu ft) of drinking water per year.[2] The lake also supports a fishing industry.[11]
Map (in French) of the Syro–Turkish part of the Euphrates basin showing the location of the Tabqa Dam (Barrage de Tabqa) and Lake Assad directly west of it
The western shore of the lake has developed into an important marshland area. On the southeastern shore, some areas have been reforested with evergreen trees including the Aleppo pine and the Euphrates poplar. Lake Assad is an important wintering location for migratory birds and the government before 2004 undertook measures to protect certain shore areas from hunters by downgrading access roads. The island of Jazirat al-Thawra has been designated a nature reserve.[12]
During the Syrian Civil War, water levels in Lake Assad have dropped significantly. This drop is possibly caused by the power station of the Tabqa Dam, which pumps more water out of the lake than is supplied by the Euphrates.[13]
See alsoEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reservoir Al-Asad.
^Bourgey, André (1974), "Le barrage de Tabqa et l'amenagement du bassin de l'Euphrate en Syrie", Revue de Géographie de Lyon (in French), 49 (4): 343–354, doi:10.3406/geoca.1974.1658, ISSN 1960-601X
^ abShapland, Greg (1997), Rivers of discord: international water disputes in the Middle East, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, ISBN978-0-312-16522-2
^Adeel, Zafar; Mainguet, Monique (2000), Summary Report of the Workshop, New Approaches to Water Management in Central Asia, United Nations University/ICARDA, pp. 208–22
^Reich, Bernard (1990). Political Leaders of the Contemporary Middle East and North Africa: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN978-0-313-26213-5.
^Kaya, Ibrahim (1998), "The Euphrates–Tigris basin: An overview and opportunities for cooperation under international law", Arid Lands Newsletter, 44, ISSN 1092-5481
^Bounni, Adnan (1977), "Campaign and exhibition from the Euphrates in Syria", The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research, 44: 1–7, ISSN 0066-0035, JSTOR 3768538
^Jones, C.; Sultan, M.; Yan, E.; Milewski, A.; Hussein, M.; Al-Dousari, A.; Al-Kaisy, S.; Becker, R. (2008), "Hydrologic impacts of engineering projects on the Tigris–Euphrates system and its marshlands", Journal of Hydrology, 353 (1): 59–75, Bibcode:2008JHyd..353...59J, doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2008.01.029, ISSN 0022-1694
^Collelo, Thomas (1987), Syria: A Country Study, Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, OCLC 44250830
^Elhadj, Elie (2008), "Dry aquifers in Arab countries and the looming food crisis", Middle East Review of International Affairs, 12 (3), ISSN 1565-8996[permanent dead link]
^Mutin, Georges (2003), "Le Tigre et l'Euphrate de la discorde", VertigO (in French), 4 (3): 1–10, doi:10.4000/vertigo.3869, ISSN 1492-8442
^Krouma, I. (2006), "National Aquaculture Sector Overview. Syrian Arab Republic. National Aquaculture Sector Overview Fact Sheets", FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department, FAO, retrieved 15 December 2009
^Murdoch, D. A.; Vos, R.; Abdallah, A.; Abdallah, M.; Andrews, I.; al-Asaad, A.; van Beusekom, R.; Hofland, R.; Roth, T.; Saveyn, B.; Serra, G.; Wells, C. (2005), A Winter Survey of Syrian Wetlands. Final Report of the Syrian Wetland Expedition, January – February 2004, London: privately published, OCLC 150245788
^"ISIS And Assad Waging A 'Water War,' Draining Key Lake That May Make A Bad Situation Even Worse". International Business Times. 2014-07-07. Retrieved 2017-10-09.
October 15, 2023
lake, assad, arabic, بحيرة, الأسد, buhayrat, assad, reservoir, euphrates, raqqa, governorate, syria, created, 1974, when, construction, tabqa, completed, syria, largest, lake, with, maximum, capacity, cubic, kilometres, maximum, surface, area, square, kilometr. Lake Assad Arabic بحيرة الأسد Buhayrat al Assad is a reservoir on the Euphrates in Raqqa Governorate Syria It was created in 1974 when construction of the Tabqa Dam was completed Lake Assad is Syria s largest lake with a maximum capacity of 11 7 cubic kilometres 2 8 cu mi and a maximum surface area of 610 square kilometres 240 sq mi A vast network of canals uses water from Lake Assad to irrigate lands on both sides of the Euphrates In addition the lake provides drinking water for the city of Aleppo and supports a fishing industry The shores of Lake Assad have developed into important ecological zones Lake Assadبحيرة الأسدLake Assad left Tabqa Dam centre and Baath Dam right The photo was taken on STS 78 June 1996 North is in the upper left corner of the image Lake Assadبحيرة الأسدMap of the wider Lake Assad regionLocationRaqqa GovernorateCoordinates36 00 N 38 10 E 36 000 N 38 167 E 36 000 38 167TypereservoirPrimary inflowsEuphratesPrimary outflowsEuphratesBasin countriesSyria TurkeyBuilt1968First flooded1974Max length80 km 50 mi Max width8 km 5 mi Surface area525 km2 203 sq mi Water volume10 km3 2 4 cu mi IslandsJazirat al ThawrahSettlementsAl Thawrah Contents 1 Project history 1 1 Rescue excavations in the Lake Assad region 2 Characteristics 3 See also 4 ReferencesProject history EditMain article Tabqa Dam Project history The first plans for a dam in the Syrian part of the Euphrates date to 1927 but these were not carried out In 1957 an agreement was reached with the Soviet Union for technical and financial aid for the construction of a dam in the Euphrates and in 1960 a financial agreement was signed with West Germany Another agreement to finance the project was signed with the Soviet Union in 1965 1 The project included a hydroelectric power station in the Tabqa Dam and the construction of a vast irrigation network capable of irrigating 640 000 hectares 2 500 sq mi of land on both sides of the Euphrates 2 3 Construction of the dam lasted between 1968 and 1973 and the flooding of the reservoir commenced in 1974 by reducing the flow of the Euphrates The project was completed under the presidency of Hafez al Assad as part of his modernization policies and agricultural reforms 4 In 1975 Iraq complained that the flow of the Euphrates had been reduced below an acceptable level and threatened to bomb the Tabqa Dam mediation by Saudi Arabia and the Soviet Union eventually settled this dispute 5 Rescue excavations in the Lake Assad region Edit Main article Rescue excavations in the Lake Assad region In anticipation of the reservoir forming an intensive international program of archaeological rescue excavations was carried out between 1963 and 1974 Excavations ranged in the date of sites from the Late Natufian to the Ottoman Empire Excavated sites include Tell Abu Hureyra Emar Habuba Kabira Mureybet Tell es Sweyhat Tell Fray and Dibsi Faraj At Qal at Ja bar a castle on a hilltop later turned into an island a protective glacis was built and two minarets at Mureybet and Meskene were relocated beyond the flood zone 6 Characteristics EditThe maximum capacity of Lake Assad is 11 7 cubic kilometres 2 8 cu mi at a surface area of 610 square kilometres 240 sq mi making it the largest lake in Syria The actual capacity is however much lower at 9 6 cubic kilometres 2 3 cu mi resulting in a surface area of 447 square kilometres 173 sq mi 7 The proposed irrigation scheme suffered from a number of problems including the high gypsum content in the reclaimed soils around Lake Assad soil salinization the collapse of canals that distributed the water from Lake Assad and the unwillingness of farmers to resettle in the reclaimed areas As a result only 60 000 hectares 230 sq mi were irrigated from Lake Assad in 1984 8 In 2000 the irrigated surface had risen to 124 000 hectares 480 sq mi which is 19 percent of the projected 640 000 hectares 2 500 sq mi 9 10 Lake Assad is the most important source of drinking water to Aleppo providing the city through a pipeline with 80 000 000 cubic metres 2 8 109 cu ft of drinking water per year 2 The lake also supports a fishing industry 11 nbsp Map in French of the Syro Turkish part of the Euphrates basin showing the location of the Tabqa Dam Barrage de Tabqa and Lake Assad directly west of itThe western shore of the lake has developed into an important marshland area On the southeastern shore some areas have been reforested with evergreen trees including the Aleppo pine and the Euphrates poplar Lake Assad is an important wintering location for migratory birds and the government before 2004 undertook measures to protect certain shore areas from hunters by downgrading access roads The island of Jazirat al Thawra has been designated a nature reserve 12 During the Syrian Civil War water levels in Lake Assad have dropped significantly This drop is possibly caused by the power station of the Tabqa Dam which pumps more water out of the lake than is supplied by the Euphrates 13 See also Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reservoir Al Asad Baath Dam Tishrin Dam Water resources management in SyriaReferences Edit Bourgey Andre 1974 Le barrage de Tabqa et l amenagement du bassin de l Euphrate en Syrie Revue de Geographie de Lyon in French 49 4 343 354 doi 10 3406 geoca 1974 1658 ISSN 1960 601X a b Shapland Greg 1997 Rivers of discord international water disputes in the Middle East New York Palgrave Macmillan ISBN 978 0 312 16522 2 Adeel Zafar Mainguet Monique 2000 Summary Report of the Workshop New Approaches to Water Management in Central Asia United Nations University ICARDA pp 208 22 Reich Bernard 1990 Political Leaders of the Contemporary Middle East and North Africa A Biographical Dictionary Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 978 0 313 26213 5 Kaya Ibrahim 1998 The Euphrates Tigris basin An overview and opportunities for cooperation under international law Arid Lands Newsletter 44 ISSN 1092 5481 Bounni Adnan 1977 Campaign and exhibition from the Euphrates in Syria The Annual of the American Schools of Oriental Research 44 1 7 ISSN 0066 0035 JSTOR 3768538 Jones C Sultan M Yan E Milewski A Hussein M Al Dousari A Al Kaisy S Becker R 2008 Hydrologic impacts of engineering projects on the Tigris Euphrates system and its marshlands Journal of Hydrology 353 1 59 75 Bibcode 2008JHyd 353 59J doi 10 1016 j jhydrol 2008 01 029 ISSN 0022 1694 Collelo Thomas 1987 Syria A Country Study Washington GPO for the Library of Congress OCLC 44250830 Elhadj Elie 2008 Dry aquifers in Arab countries and the looming food crisis Middle East Review of International Affairs 12 3 ISSN 1565 8996 permanent dead link Mutin Georges 2003 Le Tigre et l Euphrate de la discorde VertigO in French 4 3 1 10 doi 10 4000 vertigo 3869 ISSN 1492 8442 Krouma I 2006 National Aquaculture Sector Overview Syrian Arab Republic National Aquaculture Sector Overview Fact Sheets FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department FAO retrieved 15 December 2009 Murdoch D A Vos R Abdallah A Abdallah M Andrews I al Asaad A van Beusekom R Hofland R Roth T Saveyn B Serra G Wells C 2005 A Winter Survey of Syrian Wetlands Final Report of the Syrian Wetland Expedition January February 2004 London privately published OCLC 150245788 ISIS And Assad Waging A Water War Draining Key Lake That May Make A Bad Situation Even Worse International Business Times 2014 07 07 Retrieved 2017 10 09 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lake Assad amp oldid 1007303082, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
