The long embattled Alagol international wetland in Golestan Province has been flooded thanks to the recent springtime precipitations and the dredging of upstream areas.
"Dredging the canal by the side of Daneshmand Dam allowed the surface flooding waters to flow into the wetland before being stored in the reservoir," Amir Abdous, head of the provincial Department of Environment said. According to the official, the wetland was last fed in the summer of 2016 and stream toward the water body was gradually blocked with sediments, mud and silt.
"No surface water had emptied into it ever since," Zist Online quoted him as saying.
The dredging project began in late February and lasted until early April but opened the stream in time to feed up the lake.
Abdous noted that the wetland is in a good condition after a long-term dry patch which could most potentially turn into a new source of dust storm.
"After the complete revival of the wetland, supplying the required water for Ajigol and Almagol wetlands will be on agenda," the official said. Ramsar international wetlands of Alagol, Almagol and Ajigol are located in the vast Turkmen-Sahra plains to the east of the Caspian Sea and in the vicinity of the Iran-Turkmenistan border. In 2009, the three waterbeds were removed from the list of the endangered wetlands, provided by Montreux Record.
The current drying trends would risk the lakes' return to the list. The Montreux Record is a register of wetlands of international importance where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
