Construction of a massive new dam south of Guercif in northeast Morocco is now 54 percent completed, the dam’s project manager, Said Mohafid, told Morocco’s News Agency (MAP) on Tuesday.
Situated 78 kilometers south of Guercif city, more than 150 km to the east of Fes, the new Targa Oumadi dam when completed will have a total storage capacity of 287 million cubic meters of water. It will provide drinking water to the people in Guercif as well as water needed to irrigate agricultural lands in the region. It will also produce hydroelectric energy.
Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment and Water is overseeing the MAD 1.5 billion megastructure, which is expected to be operational by 2027.
Mohafid noted that the dam will significantly boost Guercif‘s local economy, while ensuring residents a reliable supply of previously scarce drinking water.
The project will also inject new life into the agricultural lands in and around the city through reliable irrigation, while creating numerous job opportunities during the construction phase.
Engineers are constructing the dam using new and innovative technology, such as the use of compacted stone with an asphalt concrete core, a building material being utilized for the first time in Morocco, MAP reported. .
The use of asphaltic concrete is expected to make the dam not only virtually impervious, but also flexible and resistant to erosion and aging, research shows.
It will stand 116 meters tall at its highest point and 584 meters wide.
The dam is being built pursuant to the Royal directive to ensure potable water for citizens and to enhance the nation’s water security.
The Ministry of Equipment and Water has already expedited the construction of 16 dams across Morocco. The combined storage capacity of all of these dams is expected to be a staggering 4.9 billion cubic meters.