Tarka Dam in Jersif A paradigm shift in water infrastructure and local development

Economy of the East

The Tarka Omadi Dam project in the Gersif region has reached an important milestone, due to the high speed at which the contractor overseeing the work is proceeding, working in accordance with high quality standards. The progress of the project is being monitored on the ground by a team of engineers and technicians who are working to optimize the downloading of this major water facility. The dam is expected to contribute to the development of the Gersif region, as it will meet the needs of the region in terms of agricultural irrigation, isolation, as well as hydroelectricity production. It will also contribute to protecting areas located in the basement from the risk of flooding.

The project comes in line with the royal directives, with an estimated injection capacity of 287 million cubic meters. It is being implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of Equipment and Water, with a total financial cost of about 1.5 billion dirhams, as part of the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program 2020-2027.

The Tarka Omadi dam, which is scheduled to be completed in 2027, is being constructed using a tamped stone dam with a concrete barrier, a technique used for the first time in Morocco. The dam has a volume of 4.8 million cubic meters, while the area of the reservoir is 974 hectares and the area of the slope basin is estimated at 794 square kilometers.

This strategically important facility consists of a main embankment (the dam body) 116 meters above the foundation and 584 meters long at the top. The dam also includes an approximately 294-meter-long spillway, three drinking water intakes (100 meters, 81 meters, and 61 meters), as well as a 116-meter-long agricultural irrigation intake.

The project also includes a 246-meter-long bottom discharge tunnel, two tunnels for injecting the dam's foundations (one 100 meters and the other 61 meters), and a 327-meter-long temporary diversion tunnel, which will be converted into a water intake for hydropower production after the work is completed.