Wadi Qattara Dam
Location of Wadi Qattara Dam in Libya
Country	Libya
Location	Benghazi
Coordinates	32°01′36″N 20°24′18″E / 32.02667°N 20.40500°E / 32.02667; 20.40500
Status	Operational
Construction began	1968
Opening date	1971
Dam and spillways
Impounds	Wadi Qattara
Height	55 m (180 ft)[1]
Length	365 m (1,198 ft)
Spillway capacity	Spillway: 92 m3/s (3,249 cu ft/s) Outlet works: 148 m3/s (5,227 cu ft/s) Total: 240 m3/s (8,476 cu ft/s)
Reservoir
Total capacity	135,000,000 m3 (109,446 acre⋅ft)[2]
Catchment area	1,224 km2 (473 sq mi)
Surface area	18 km2 (7 sq mi)

The Wadi Qattara Dam, also referred to as Gattara or Al-Qattarah, is a clay-fill embankment dam located on Wadi Al-Qattara, 33 km (21 mi) east of Benghazi in Libya. Together with a secondary dam located 10 km (6 mi) downstream at 31°59′43″N 20°20′04″E / 31.99528°N 20.33444°E / 31.99528; 20.33444 (Wadi Qattara Secondary Dam) and seven drop structures, the scheme was constructed after floods damaged the Benghazi area in 1938 and 1954. They were also constructed for irrigation water supply. Construction of the dams began in 1968 and was completed in 1971.^[3][4] However, a flood in 1979 severely damaged the main dam and destroyed the secondary dam downstream.^[5] The main dam was rehabilitated and the secondary dam was replaced with a rock-fill dam between 2000 and 2004 at a cost of US$30 million. The main dam was heightened 7 m (23 ft) and its total discharge capacity was increased to 240 m³/s (8,476 cu ft/s). Both dams were designed by Coyne et Bellier.^[6]

References