Morocco’s water reserves experienced a significant boost in late December, with dam stocks increasing by 237 million cubic meters between December 17 and 22. The national filling rate now stands at 33.6%, representing total reserves of 5.63 billion cubic meters across the country’s network of dams.
This recent surge marks a dramatic acceleration compared to earlier trends. Between November 10 and December 15, reserves had grown by just 105 million cubic meters, reaching 5.28 billion. The mid-December period saw an initial gain of 119 million cubic meters from December 15 to 17, followed by the more substantial increase in the final five-day period.
Individual dam performance varied considerably. Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah recorded the strongest volume increase, adding 62.1 million cubic meters to reach 777.5 million, pushing its filling rate from 73% to 79% of its 974.7 million cubic meter capacity. Al Wahda, Morocco’s largest dam with 3.52 billion cubic meters capacity, gained 30.2 million cubic meters, maintaining a 42% filling rate with current reserves at 1.51 billion.
However, critical concerns remain for several strategic facilities. Al Massira, despite gaining 17.3 million cubic meters, remains critically low at just 3% capacity with only 90.8 million cubic meters stored against its 2.66 billion capacity. Oued El Makhazine showed positive momentum, increasing from 73% to 76% capacity.
Hydrologist Amine Benjelloun noted that while December rains provided temporary relief, the situation remains structurally deficient. “With a national filling rate of 33.6%, the system remains under pressure, particularly for strategic dams like Al Massira,” he explained. “Only sustained rainfall over several months would restore durable equilibrium.”