Money Hindiyah Barrage

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The Hindiya Barrage, MesopotamiaAuthor(s): Robert I. MoneyReviewed work(s):Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 50, No. 3 (Sep., 1917), pp. 217-222Published by: Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British

Geographers)Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1779909 .

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THE HINDIYA BARRAGE, MESOPOTAMIARobert I. Money, M.I.C.E.

[The information in this note szpplements and in part corrects thenote on the Hindiya Barrage published in ' G..,' April 1914, 43, 415;inparticulartheplan onpage 417 of thatnote s supersededytheplanherepublished.-ED. ' G.J.']THE annual rainfall at Baghdadover a periodof sixteen years givesa maximum of 22'3I inches, a minimumof 1'47 inches, and anaverageof 6'3 inches. Cultivation is thereforedependent on irrigation.The Euphrates, ed by the meltingof the snows on the Taurus,is in floodfrom March until May, and at Hit has a maximum dischargeof 3600and a minimum of 390 cubic metres per second. The channel of theEuphrates s incapableof containing such a volume,and extensive floodsare the result,which reach as far as Baghdad. A strongearthendam hasthereforebeen built all round this town to protect it from the floods ofthe Euphratesand also of the Tigris.A short distance above Feludja on the Euphrates the SaklawiyaCanal, constructed in ancient days, leads off and joins the Tigris justbelow Baghdad. This canal was navigable for steamboatsup to aboutthe year 1875, when MidhatPasha, the Vali of Baghdad,closed the head.It now carries water only during the flood season. The result of thePasha's action was that a large volumeof water,some 750 cubic metresa second, was added to the already overburdenedEuphrates channel,and caused immense damageto the countrydownstreamof Feludja.A day'sjourney to the south of Baghdad lies the town of Museyib,and four miles south of this town the River Euphratesdivides into two,the western armbeing knownas the Hindiya branch,and the easternarmas the Hilla branch. The Hindiya branch s said to be the originalbed ofthe Euphrates, and the Hilla branch which flows through Babylon anartificialdeviation. Some confusionin the nomenclatureexists, for in thetime of Alexander the western armwas knownas the Pallacopas,and theeastern armas the Euphrates. The Arabiangeographershoweverreversedthis, describingthe Euphratesas the westernarmflowing to Hindiya andKufa, while the branchflowingthrough Babylon and Hilla and Diwaniyawas known as the Sura. Western geographershave generally followedthe Greekuse, and so in modern atlases the riverof Babylonor easternbranchis called the Euphrates. On the i/M. map the two branchesarenamed the Shatt Hilla and the ShattHindiya.The Euphrates flowing past Babylon and Hilla lies at a higherlevelthan the Hindiya branch,and as it was incapableof carryingthe extrasupply due to the closing of the Saklawiya Canal,the water forced itsway down the lower-lying Hindiya branch, swept away the old earth


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THE HINDIYA BARRAGE, MESOPOTAMIAdams which were built to raise the water-leveland so force it into theHilla branch,scoured out the bed and permanently owered the water-level at the point where the two rivers branched off. The Hilla branchimmediately began to silt up, and as the Hindiya branch provided astraighterand easiercourse, more and more water continuedto pass downit, threateningn the courseof time to leave the formerdryand to placeout of cultivation the large areaof land dependent on that river for itsirrigation. To remedythis state of affairs he TurkishGovernment hrewa dam across the river at Hindiya, constructedof loose rubble,with a

twenty-metre pening in the middle. As the siltingup of the Hilla branchproceeded,moreand morewater flowed downthe Hindiya branch,callingfor a modificationof the dam to meet the alteredconditions. Nothingwas done, and it was being gradually swept away, when in I908 theTurkish Government invited tenders for the constructionof a masonrybarrage. In the flood of I909 the Hilla branch was passing 300 and theHindiya branch 2500 cubic metres per second, while a year later theformer,whichfiftyyearspreviouslyhad discharged2000, was only passingI50 cubic metres a second.The design of the new barrage,preparedby a French engineer,pro-posed a structureof reinforcedconcrete, a bold experiment in such a

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THE HINDIYA BARRAGE, MESOPOTAMIAclimate, where the rapid evaporationand scarcityof experiencedlabourmade difficulties not at that time overcome. The Turkish authoritiestried to avoid this difficultyby making the contractorresponsiblefor thedesign, and stipulating hat the work should be maintained for seven yearsafter the date of completion; if it should fail at any time during thisperiodthe contractorwas not only to forfeit his retentionmoney,but wasto repaythe Turkish Governmentall money received from them in pay-ment of work done. The tenderwas thrownopen to the whole world,butno offers were forthcoming. About this time the Sultan Abdul Hamidwas deposed, and with the advent of the Young Turkpartyto powera bigprogrammeof Public Works for the development of the country wasdrawn up. In the forefrontof irrigationwas that of Mesopotamia,andSir WilliamWillcocks,who some years previouslyhad visited the countryand prepared a scheme in outline, was engaged to make a thoroughinvestigationof the whole question. With a large staff of engineersfromEgypt and elsewhere he spent two years surveying a very large area ofMesopotamia, and adding many details to the existing map, besidescollecting interesting geographical information. (See his papers in theGeographicalfournal, vol. 35, p. I; vol. 40, p. 129; and also Capt. Lyons,vol. 40, p. 50I.)Some escape had to be found for the flood waters of the Euphrates,and not only for those which used to flow down the Saklawiyabeforeit was closed by Midhat Pasha. This was the cause of much anxiousthought, until Sir William Willcocks' surveys revealed the existence oftwo big depressions-Lake Habbaniya,some 20 km. to the south-east ofRamadiya, and another terminatingin Lake Abu Dibis, 75 km. stillfurther o the south-east. The Habbaniyadepressioncoversan areaof I46squarekms. within the contour40 metres,while that of Abu Dibis coverssome 1200 square kms. within the contour 25 metres. These two togetherhave a sufficientcapacityto receive the whole of the excess flood watersof the Euphrates,while the Abu Dibis depression as a possible reservoirin the futureis of great potentialvalue. Its capacitybelow the contour26 metres is estimated by Sir William Willcocks at 4,000,000,000 cubicmetres, with an annual evaporation of 3,000,000,000. During thesurveya thick belt of EuphratesRiver shells was discovered at the levelof 25 metresin this Abu Dibis depression,showing that in ancient timesit had received the overflow rom the Euphrates.

Meanwhile the silting up of the bed of the Hilla branch rapidlyproceeded; the town of Hilla saw that in a short time it would be lefthigh and dry, and extensive areas of land had alreadygone out of cultiva-tion. To remedythis state of affairs,the Turkish Government orderedSir William Willcocksto proceedwith the new barrageat the head of theHindiya branch,and a new entrancewith regulatingworks to forcewaterdown the channel past Hilla. This work he commenced,and at a laterdate the Turkish Government entered into a contractwith Sir J. Jackson,

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THE HINDIYA BARRAGE, MESOPOTAMIALtd., of London to complete it. The volume of water flowing in thechannel of the river at the proposed site of the workwould not allow ofthe methodof constructionadoptedin Egypt,wherethe riverwas divertedto one half while the new workwas constructed in the other half of theriver-bed,and then sent throughthe completed partof the barragewhilethe remaininghalf wasbuilt. Thereforeat Hindiya the plan was adoptedof buildingthe whole workin the dry to one side of the river,excavating

a new channelabove and below the barrage,and when the workwascom-pleted, cutting the river-bank,diverting the water into the new channeland blocking the old course by building an earthern dam across it (seeFig. 3). Thus a very fine barrage 250 metres long, with thirty-sixopenings each 5 metreswide, fitted with regulatingshutters,was finishedshortlybefore war was declared,and was found uninjuredon the Britishoccupation of Baghdad. The barrageas constructed s providedwith adouble lock, and it was intended on completion of the work to have

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REPAIRING BREACH IN OLD BARRAGE, HI


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MUSEYIB TOWN AND BRIDGE OF BOATS, EUP

THE NEW HINDIYA BARRAGE. From sketch lent by Sir John Jackson & C


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THE HINDIYA BARRAGE, MESOPOTAMIAremovedthe old barrage,whenboats could have continued their journeyup-stream. It had been the custom hitherto for goods.to be unloadedbelow the barrage, transportedoverland and reloaded into other boatsfor their furtherpassage up-stream. When, on completion of the newbarrage, Sir John Jackson's engineers proposed to commence work onthe removal of the old one, the Arabs objected, fearing that the newbarragemight be unableto perform he dutyassignedto it, and "besides,"said they, "goods always have been unloaded at the barrageand trans-ported overland,so why should they not continue to do so?" The oldbarragehas thereforenot yet been removed.The new Hindiya Barrage being constructed above the entrance tothe Hilla branch, it became necessary to provide a new channel con-LONGITUDINALSECTION OF THE HABBANIYA ESCAPE

85 Euphrates high flood level

, 4^ -I~,a&Lkelabbav.ya .~ pFall of bedWLooo W.40 00May 1909 J;Exc vation -, 464, 000 cub metres

0i Excavation 6 To Abu Dbsin desert cutting 252,2320oo cub metres i Layer of shei' in Abu Dibhi:> /9 00;e de ofAbu I!*c:>~~~s~~~ ! depressi

5 10 .5 20 25 30a 5 40"ilometresaloizoital scale%/.oo.ooo Vertical scale 500 times exagg'eratAedLnecting the Euphratesabove the barragewith the old channel. As thishad silted up very considerably,the new cut was made 30 metres widein the bed and 4 kilometres ong, providinga straighterand moreregularcourse, and being furnishedwith a regulator at its head. In addition,the river itself was cleaned out and straightenedfor a distanceof some5o kilometresto Hilla andbeyond. The regulatorconsistsof six openings3 metres in width, fitted with sliding shutters similar to those in theHindiya Barrage, and when closed will prevent the flood-watersof theEuphrates rompassing down the channel. The delightof the inhabitantsof Hilla was great when they saw waterflowing past their townat a higherlevel thanfor many yearspreviously.The original design provided(i) for cuttinga channel some io kilo-metreslong and 50 metreswide, connecting the Euphratesat Ramadiya

0

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with Lake Habbaniya,the level of whose bed is 39 metres above sea-level, and involving 1,500,000 cubic metres of excavation; (2) cuttingthrough he ridge to the south-eastof Lake Habbaniya and providingachannel some 25 metres in width to discharge the surplus flood-watersinto the depression lying between Lakes Habbaniyaand Abu Dibis, thelevel of the bed of the Lake being I9 metres above sea-level. Thisinvolves some 2,200,000 cubic metres of excavation.Laterinvestigationsshowedthat the Lake Habbaniyadepressionmightcontain the whole of the excess flood-watersof the Euphrates,and it wasproposedto leave in abeyancethe workinvolved in (2) above.There is therefore in Lake Abu Dibis depression a large storagereservein case Lake Habbaniyashouldprove insufficient.The followingtabularstatementgives the details:-

Lake Habbaniya depression.Below 40 m ... ... ... I46 sq. km. . 64, 500,000 cub. m., 43 m. *.. * *- 257 ,, .. 598,500,000 ,,, 46 m ... ... ... 34I ,, ... ,477,500,000 ,,The level of flood-water in the depression was in' March 1909, 40'0 m.,and in May 1910, 46'o m.Excavation for the Habbaniya escape was in progress until the warput a stop to all furtheroperations. The latest calculationsshow that thisdepressionhas a sufficientcapacityto contain all that is required for theexcess waters of the Euphrates' lood. It is thereforeproposedto makethe HabbaniyaLake a reservoiras well as an escape, the water being fedback to the Euphratesduring the low-waterseason by meansof an outletcanal connecting the northernend of the lake with the Euphratesat a

point some 40 kilometresbelow the head of the intakecanal at Ramadiya.The proposed new cut connecting Lake Habbaniyawith the Abu Dibisdepressionis not to be proceeded with,but in its place a high-level weiris to be substituted, which will come into operation in the event ofabnormal loods.Plans havebeen completedfor a second barrageat Feludja,to provideperennial rrigationfor the countrybetweenFeludja and Museyibon theEuphratesand Baghdad and Kut on the Tigris. Sir William Willcockssays that this will be the most effective irrigationwork in the country.Presumably t will be the first to be undertakenby the future rulers ofMesopotamia.

REVIEWSEUROPEThe Passingof the GreatRace; or,the RacialBasisof EuropeanHistory.-Madison Grant. London: G. Bell & Sons. I9I7. Mas., 8s. 6d. net.THE wrapperof this book states that in it " for the first time the definition ofraceandthe mannernwhich haracteristicsretransmittedreclearly tated."

with Lake Habbaniya,the level of whose bed is 39 metres above sea-level, and involving 1,500,000 cubic metres of excavation; (2) cuttingthrough he ridge to the south-eastof Lake Habbaniya and providingachannel some 25 metres in width to discharge the surplus flood-watersinto the depression lying between Lakes Habbaniyaand Abu Dibis, thelevel of the bed of the Lake being I9 metres above sea-level. Thisinvolves some 2,200,000 cubic metres of excavation.Laterinvestigationsshowedthat the Lake Habbaniyadepressionmightcontain the whole of the excess flood-watersof the Euphrates,and it wasproposedto leave in abeyancethe workinvolved in (2) above.There is therefore in Lake Abu Dibis depression a large storagereservein case Lake Habbaniyashouldprove insufficient.The followingtabularstatementgives the details:-

Lake Habbaniya depression.Below 40 m ... ... ... I46 sq. km. . 64, 500,000 cub. m., 43 m. *.. * *- 257 ,, .. 598,500,000 ,,, 46 m ... ... ... 34I ,, ... ,477,500,000 ,,The level of flood-water in the depression was in' March 1909, 40'0 m.,and in May 1910, 46'o m.Excavation for the Habbaniya escape was in progress until the warput a stop to all furtheroperations. The latest calculationsshow that thisdepressionhas a sufficientcapacityto contain all that is required for theexcess waters of the Euphrates' lood. It is thereforeproposedto makethe HabbaniyaLake a reservoiras well as an escape, the water being fedback to the Euphratesduring the low-waterseason by meansof an outletcanal connecting the northernend of the lake with the Euphratesat a

point some 40 kilometresbelow the head of the intakecanal at Ramadiya.The proposed new cut connecting Lake Habbaniyawith the Abu Dibisdepressionis not to be proceeded with,but in its place a high-level weiris to be substituted, which will come into operation in the event ofabnormal loods.Plans havebeen completedfor a second barrageat Feludja,to provideperennial rrigationfor the countrybetweenFeludja and Museyibon theEuphratesand Baghdad and Kut on the Tigris. Sir William Willcockssays that this will be the most effective irrigationwork in the country.Presumably t will be the first to be undertakenby the future rulers ofMesopotamia.

REVIEWSEUROPEThe Passingof the GreatRace; or,the RacialBasisof EuropeanHistory.-Madison Grant. London: G. Bell & Sons. I9I7. Mas., 8s. 6d. net.THE wrapperof this book states that in it " for the first time the definition ofraceandthe mannernwhich haracteristicsretransmittedreclearly tated."

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