‘10 major dams less than one-third full as rain comes late’

AMMAN — Four million cubic metres (mcm) of water entered the Kingdom’s dams between Thursday and Saturday morning, according to the Jordan Valley Authority (JVA).

The 10 major dams now store less than one-third of their total capacity, according to JVA Secretary General Saad Abu Hammour, who noted that storage is far below what the dams held during this period last year.

“The dams now hold 96mcm of their total capacity of 325mcm,” Abu Hammour told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

During the same period last year, the dams held around 140mcm of their total capacity.

“Rain during the past wet season started early, but this year it started late, and this is why the storage of the dams is far less,” Abu Hammour noted.

Some 3mcm of the rainwater entered the 75mcm-King Talal Dam, while the remainder amount was distributed amongst Wihdeh Dam near the Jordanian-Syrian border, Wadi Al Arab Dam, Sharahbil Dam, Kafrain Dam and Wadi Shuaib Dam, according to the official.

The country’s dams in the southern region did not receive any additional storage, he added.

The country was affected on Wednesday night by a depression and a wet air mass, which brought heavy rain as well as strong winds.

The Ministry of Agriculture said on Saturday that rainfall over the weekend was beneficial for certain produce, especially field crops such as wheat and barley.

“The rain between Thursday and Saturday was very good for natural pastures, because the wet season has arrived late this year. It is also very good for olive trees as it washes away dirt and dust off the fruits,” the ministry’s spokesperson, Nimer Haddadin, told The Jordan Times over the phone.