Rabat: No malfunctions or irregularities have been reported to date in the Oued El Makhazine dam and its facilities, despite exceeding its normal fill rate since January 6, said Salaheddine Dahbi, Director General of Hydraulics at the Ministry of Equipment and Water, on Wednesday.
According to Agence Marocaine De Presse, in a statement at the Ministry of the Interior regarding the exceptional hydrological situation at the Oued El Makhazine dam up to February 4, Dahbi noted that the dam had surpassed its normal capacity since January 6, 2026. The reserves are four meters above the historical level since the dam began operating in 1972. Despite this situation, no malfunctions or irregularities have occurred, he emphasized.
Dahbi highlighted that the dam registered significant water inflows of approximately 972.9 million m³ from September 1, 2025, to February 4, 2026. Notably, 716.8 million m³, or 73.68%, occurred during the last two weeks alone. This volume exceeded the annual average by 184%, increasing water storage to 988 million m³ as of February 4, 2026, with a fill rate reaching 146.85%.
To address this condition, preventive and proactive water releases have been conducted, resulting in a cumulative volume discharge of 372.9 million m³. In anticipation of increased water supply, Dahbi stated that the technical control system is being reinforced with two measurement periods per day instead of one per month, and specialized teams have been called in for meticulous control tasks.
Based on weather forecasts, Dahbi predicted significant developments in the next seven days. A precise hydrological simulation, using hours as the time unit instead of days, estimates water inflows of nearly 620 million m³. The simulation records a maximum dam fill with a volume reaching 3,136 m³/s, and the evacuation of a maximum flow of 1,377 m³/s, four times the current evacuation volume. It also includes a cartographic delimitation of flood zones, specifying expected water level rises while considering dam water releases and upstream river inflows to identify preventive measures for citizen safety and property preservation.
He further noted that the services of the Ministry of Equipment and Water continue to ensure the safety of hydraulic installations and the continuity of their functions in regulating water supplies and protecting against flooding. This is carried out in full coordination with local authorities and stakeholders, in line with the High Guidelines of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.
Dahbi also mentioned that after seven consecutive years of severe drought, the Kingdom has experienced a rainy period in the current hydrological year, starting September 1, 2025. A total of 145.5 mm of rainfall was registered, a 32.5% increase compared to the annual average. This positively impacted water inflows, which reached 8.73 billion m³, bringing dam fill rates to 61.88% with water reserves of around 10.37 billion m³, a level not seen since 2019.
These inflows are considered exceptional, as 95%, or nearly 8.31 billion m³, were accumulated in less than two months since December 12, 2025. This situation has enabled several dams to reach maximum capacity, necessitating controlled water releases to create reserve storage capacity for expected inflows and preserve facility safety, with the Al Wahda dam cited as an example.
In this context, the Ministry of Equipment and Water, in coordination with water basin agencies, provides meticulous and intensive monitoring of dam and hydraulic structure conditions, mobilizing experienced technical teams and specialized managers. This includes conducting hydrological simulations based on weather forecasts to develop management plans that guarantee dam safety and operational continuity.