Alwand Dam is a dam located on the Alwand River, southeast of

Khanaqin Khanaqin ( ar, خانقين; ku, خانەقین, translit=Xaneqîn) is the central city of Khanaqin District in Diyala Governorate, Iraq, near the Iranian border (8 km) on the Alwand tributary of the Diyala River. The town is populated by ...

, from the Iraqi-Iranian border. It is a hydroponic dam with a mud core with a length of and a height of . The storage quantities in the dam’s lake is and the surface area of the lake is .

History

At the beginning of 2013, the dam began operating. The importance of the dam lies in protecting

from floods and torrential rains that come from the upper river. The dam's water is used in agricultural projects, drinking water and liquefaction, especially in the summer, and the surplus is drained to the Hemrin Dam. The foundation stone for the dam was laid in

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

, and the General Rafidain Company constructed the dam. The dam was opened in 2013, and its cost exceeded 28 billion dinars.

Dam Collapse

Many rumors appeared at the end of

2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...

after an earthquake occurred in the area, the most prominent of which was the collapse of the dam, which prompted the people to head to higher areas to escape from drowning, but it became clear later that the was nothing but a rumor.

References

{{coord, 34.3148, 45.4399, type:landmark_region:IQ, display=title Water supply and sanitation in Iraq Dams in Iraq Diyala Governorate Dams completed in 2013