The Ministry of Environment and Water has announced that an estimated 400,000 cubic meters of rainwater, equivalent to 88 million gallons, was collected in the central area’s dam lakes after heavy rains, known as Al Rawayeh rains, last Monday afternoon, July 27 2015.

H. E. Eng. Mariam Mohammed Saeed Hareb, Acting Assistant Undersecretary for Water Resources and Nature Conservation, Ministry of Environment and Water, said: “The valleys of Al-Shawka, Al-Qassaa and Al-Kashish witnessed heavy rains, especially the basin of Al-Shawka valley which led to water levels of the Dam Lake reaching 275,000 cubic meters. An estimated 1,500,000 cubic meters of water t flowed from the spillway of the dam for two and a half hours, reaching a maximum of 1.25 meters.”

Hareb added that the amount of water that has been harvested in the barrier of Al-Shawka dam amounted to 10,000 cubic meters, reaching 3 meters high, Al-Kashish, reached 105,000 cubic meters and 3 meters high, and Al-Qassaa Dam reached 10,000 cubic meters and 1 meter high.

Hareb also noted that said that the ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Works, has completed the maintenance work and raised efficiency standards to calm the flow behind Al-Shawka dam spillway, in line with the implementation of its operational plan for the years 2014 - 2016,

The ministry’s consultants and dams experts dams inspect Al-Shawka dam and lake and facilities according to established requirements regarding technical standards for the management and control of dams, along with the best international practices of leading countries that feature am efficient dam system immune from flooding damage.