With the completion of the construction of Emarat Dam in Germi County in northwestern Ardabil Province, it has been filled with water, managing director of Ardabil Regional Water Company said.
“Completed at a cost of over $33 million, the dam will supply drinking water to the region, as well as for farming and the environment,” Ali Heydari Anari was also quoted as saying by IRNA.
With a capacity of 182 million cubic meters of water, Emarat Dam is the largest in Ardabil Province and can irrigate 23,000 hectares of farmlands.
Around 15 mcm of water in the dam are allocated for drinking, 75 mcm are used in farming and 28 mcm for environmental purposes.
Built on Darehroud River about 80 kilometers from Germi County, creating jobs and preventing farmers from migrating, improving trade and business prospects by expanding horticulture, boosting agriculture and livestock production, and promoting agro industries are the main benefits of the dam.
Another dam is also under construction in the province. Anbaran Dam in Namin County has progressed by over 70% and will be inaugurated next year.
More than $1.3 million have been invested in the project. With a capacity of 1 mcm, the dam will irrigate farms and feed downstream wells and aqueducts.
Ardabil Province has a cool climate during summer, but the winters are bitterly cold with temperatures plummeting to -25 degrees centigrade.
Its famous natural region is the Sabalan Mountain and mineral springs. Large parts of the province are green and forested. It also has a number of lakes, which are habitats for water birds.
According to provincial officials, the agricultural sector in the province annually produces an estimated 4.5 million tons of products, including lentils, canola seeds, potatoes, honey, sugarbeet, wheat and barley.
Its products are exported to the Republic of Azerbaijan, Iraq, Turkey, Georgia and the UAE, among other countries.
