Rabat – Heavy rainfall in northern Morocco has pushed the Oued Al-Makhazine Dam, located in the Loukkos basin near Ksar El Kebir, to its maximum capacity, prompting authorities to begin controlled and preventive water releases to reduce flood risks.
Younes El Abdi, Head of Water Resources Management at the Ministry of Equipment and Water, told SNRT News that the dam received around 845 million cubic meters of water between September 1 and February 1 after heavy rainfall. More than half of that amount, 518 million cubic meters, was recorded in the past week alone.
This volume exceeds the annual average by 159%. As a result, the dam’s water storage reached about 960 million cubic meters on February 1, with the reservoir level rising to 67.72 meters.
In response, authorities began controlled and preventive releases on January 24, discharging a total of 281 million cubic meters so far to prepare for expected additional inflows.
El Abdi said no technical problems have been recorded, even though the current water level is higher than the previous historical record of 63.65 meters set in 1996. He added that monitoring systems have been strengthened, with daily inspections and simulation exercises to ensure the dam’s safety and continued operation.
Morocco has seen heavy and continuous rain across the country in recent months. The national average rainfall reached 138 millimeters, marking a 148% increase compared to the same period last year. These rains generated exceptional inflows to dams nationwide, estimated at about 7.8 billion cubic meters.
As a result, the national dam filling rate rose to 61.7%, equivalent to 10.4 billion cubic meters of stored water, the highest level recorded since 2019. Authorities say dams have played a key role in protecting cities and villages from flooding by storing nearly 6 billion cubic meters of water.
Rising water levels have raised renewed public concern in the city of Ksar El Kebir, which is the city that has been hit the hardest by the storms. However, Mohammed Naaimi, head of the Oued Al-Makhazine Dam, confirmed that the situation remains stable. He said the dam is operating normally thanks to gradual water releases and the use of its hydroelectric plant, which is producing up to 36 megawatts of electricity.
Meanwhile, authorities have been on high alert, with the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) deploying units in affected areas to assist locals.
In addition, videos shared online showed local authorities urging people in flood-prone areas to evacuate and either go stay with relatives in safe areas or at shelters FAR has set up.
