:Dahla Dam

The Dahla Dam was completed in 1952 when relations between Afghanistan and the United States were beginning to expand.{{YouTube|naHWKSpjZGI|Afghanistan in the 1950s: Back to the Future [Full Documentary] - BBC News}} The purpose of the dam was to help farmers in Kandahar Province and provide clean drinking water to the city of Kandahar.{{Cite web |url=http://morrison-knudsen.com/the-dahla-dam/ |title=The Dahla Dam |publisher=Morrison and Knudsen Corporation |access-date=2015-11-12 |archive-date=18 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118075853/http://morrison-knudsen.com/the-dahla-dam/|url-status=dead}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.your-poc.com/army-corps-engineers-raise-dahla-dam-provide-water-essential-southern-afghanistan/ |title=Army Corps of Engineers to raise Dahla Dam and provide water essential to southern Afghanistan |date=21 July 2014 |access-date=2015-11-12 |publisher=Professional Overseas Contractors}}

The Dahla Dam is an embankment structure made of earth and rock fill. It is {{cvt|55| m}} in height. The length of the dam at the crest is about {{cvt|535| m}}. In the periphery of the dam six saddle dams have been built which together measure {{cvt|2040| m}} and with varying heights of {{cvt|15|-|25|m}}. To pass the design flood discharge two spillway structures have been built. To release water for irrigation to the canal system low level sluices have been built at the downstream toe of the dam with two control valves of the Howell-Bunger type which function as energy dissipation bypass valves.{{Cite web |url=https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=c7152e5eb3ecc00e169e31c723038a9b |title=Y--Dahla Dam Improvement Project, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan |publisher=Federal Business Opportunities |date=24 June 2011 |access-date=2015-11-12}}

The reservoir created by the dam has a storage capacity of 314 MCM. The irrigation system designed to provide irrigation to {{cvt|30000| ha}} of land in the Kandahar province consisted of {{cvt|77.6| km}} of the main canal and {{cvt|415| km}} of branch canals; with the main canal designed to carry a discharge of {{cvt|42.5|m3}} per second. The contractor for the project was Morrison–Knudsen of Boise, Idaho. The dam and the irrigation system are under the control of the Helmand and Arghandab Valley Authority.{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/2014/newsspec_8529/index.html |title=Helmand's Golden Age |work=BBC News |date=7 August 2014 |access-date=2024-04-03}}

File:Corps of Engineers to raise Dahla Dam, provide water essential to southern Afghanistan 140118-A-DT641-204.jpg of Dahla Dam in 2014]]

File:US team visiting Dahla Dam-2012.jpg

After completion of the dam in 1952, it functioned well for many decades. However, the irrigation system and its operation was neglected during the 1980s Soviet occupation. A technical appraisal of the status of the project carried out by experts from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in 2008 revealed that the siltation in the reservoir had resulted in reduction of the storage capacity by 34%, irrigation system had deteriorated resulting in loss in canal discharge to the extent of 70% on account of siltation, evaporation, seepage and other defects. The intake tower of the dam was not functioning properly and control valves were leaking, spillway capacity to discharge flood waters was inadequate, and there was no operational plan.{{Cite web |url=http://www.international.gc.ca/department-ministere/evaluation/2014/dev-airp-rsia14.aspx?lang=eng |title=Executive Summary - Arghandab Irrigation Rehabilitation Project |publisher=Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada |access-date=2015-11-12}} Even before the rehabilitation of dam and canal system could be initiated, as first priority the mines in the rocky areas of the reservoir area had to be cleared which was done by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After this operation, a two-phase rehabilitation plan was launched.

On completion of the rehabilitation works by raising the height of the dam and related appurtenant works, and the improvements of the canal system, the volume of available water would be increased from 300 million cubic meters to 484 million cubic meters. This would facilitate irrigation to command areas in the districts of Shah Wali Kot, Arghandab, Zhari, Panjwai, Maiwand, Dand and Daman, and also help in planning and building a hydropower station to generate electricity.{{Cite web |url=http://www.pajhwok.com/en/2015/06/28/dahla-dam-project-first-phase-nears-completion |title=Dahla Dam project first phase nears completion |last=Naadim |first=Basher Ahmad |publisher=Pajwok Afghan News |date=28 June 2015 |access-date=2015-11-12 |archive-date=1 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401135707/https://www.pajhwok.com/en/2015/06/28/dahla-dam-project-first-phase-nears-completion |url-status=dead}}

In the first phase the rehabilitation works were carried out by Canada during the period from 2009 to 2012 under the project titled "Arghandab Irrigation Rehabilitation Project" at a cost of nearly $44 million US dollars. Desilting and repairs to {{cvt|77.6|km}} of main canal and about {{cvt|415|km}} of branch and minor canals, replacement of water valves and erecting gates to improve control over the flow of water supplying to farm fields from the reservoir of the Dahla Dam were carried out.

Raising the height of the dam is seen crucial to increasing the volume of available water, which has reduced to around 290 million cubic meters from about 500 million cubic meters water. The rehabilitation work during this phase involved raising the height of the dam by {{cvt|8|m}}, of saddle dams by {{cvt|5|-|6|m}}, spillways, and modifying structural, hydraulic and electro-mechanical features. The work was initiated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers but then abandoned due to a financial issue with the Afghan government.

It is unknown when the third phase of the project will be completed.{{cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2021/05/22/residents-call-for-resumption-of-work-on-dahla-dam/ |title=Residents call for resumption of work on Dahla dam |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |date=22 May 2021 |access-date=2024-04-03}} In this regard, former deputy Minister of Energy and Water Abdul Basir Azimi stated the following:{{quote|The third phase of the project will provide water to Kandahar City. It will help hundreds of thousands of families to have access to drinking water after it is processed. Meanwhile, three turbines will be installed on the dam. Each of them will produce eight megawatts of power. All the turbines will generate 22 megawatts of power.{{cite news |url=https://www.tolonews.com/business/ministry-invest-450-million-kandahar-dam-project |title=Ministry To Invest $450 Million In Kandahar Dam Project |work=TOLOnews |date=6 July 2018 |access-date=2019-04-01}}}} According to Toryalai Mahboobi, Kandahar basin chief, the reservoir of Dahla Dam would have 950 million cubic meters of fresh water after the third phase of the project is completed.{{cite news |url=https://pajhwok.com/2019/05/01/kandahars-dahla-dam-expansion-project-begin-soon/ |title=Kandahar's Dahla Dam expansion project to begin soon |work=Pajhwok Afghan News |date=1 May 2019 |access-date=2019-05-06 }}

• List of dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan
• Tourism in Afghanistan

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Dahla Dam}}

• {{YouTube|8LCD2dvVPPw|Dahla Dam in Kandahar province}}, Ariana News, April 28, 2023
• {{YouTube|TAwDnwjSZgc|Biggest Surprise For Kandahar City}}, April 4, 2023
• {{YouTube|QtYwnDKHzRU|The Dahla Dam Kandahar}}, March 14, 2021
• {{YouTube|AhE_ZGh9T7w|Dahla Dam}}, April 9, 2020
• [https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/UNOSAT_A3_Natural_Portrait_FL20190305AFG_ArghandabDam_Evolution.pdf Satellite detected water extent and evolution, as of 04 March 2019 over Arghandab Dam, in Shah Wali Kot District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.]
• {{YouTube|FYraZR-zOLs|Dahla Dam Irrigation Release}} (Feb. 4, 2016)
• {{YouTube|f2-YzCffSdw|US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS & 77 CONSTRUCTION COMPANY DAHLA DAM IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PHASE 1}} (Dec. 7, 2015)

{{Dams and reservoirs in Afghanistan}}

{{Kandahar Province}}

Category:Dams completed in 1952

Category:Dams in Afghanistan

Category:Helmand River drainage basin

Category:Buildings and structures in Kandahar Province

Category:1952 establishments in Afghanistan