Oman’s Ministry of Agricultural, Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR) announced that the Wadi Adounab Dam project in Salalah is now 77% complete. This dam, upon completion, will be the second largest in Oman, boasting a storage capacity exceeding 83 million cubic meters of water.
“The ministry is continuing construction work on the dam,” said Ali bin Bakhit Bait Said, Director of the Water Resources Department at the Directorate General of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources in Dhofar governorate. “It’s the second largest dam in Oman after Wadi Dayqah in Muscat governorate.”
The project involves constructing a 386-meter-long and 70-meter-high dam on the Wadi Adounab waterway. A water drainage channel is also being built to manage the water level in the dam’s reservoir. The dam’s watershed covers an area of 217 square kilometers.
The project incorporates a variety of safety and monitoring features. An 80-meter concrete spillway is being constructed alongside the dam. Additionally, advanced monitoring devices will track groundwater levels, water levels in the reservoir, leaks within the dam structure, and the percentage of sediment accumulating in the lake.
The MAFWR is undertaking this project with the goal of implementing a flood protection system for Salalah. The dam will capture rainwater flowing from the mountains towards Salalah Port, Raysut Industrial City, and the Salalah Free Zone. Engineer Ali bin Bakhit Bait Said expects this flood protection system to significantly reduce sediment entering Salalah Port by up to 70% upon completion.
