80 Percent of Zayandeh Rud Dam in Isfahan is Empty

Mehrzad Ehsani, an official in Iran's Ministry of Energy, states that approximately 80 percent of the Zayandeh Rud Dam in Isfahan is empty. According to the Mehr News Agency, this official mentions that currently about 1,450 million cubic meters of the Zayandeh Rud Dam is empty, and based on forecasts regarding rainfall and the amount of water entering the dam in the coming months, as well as the needs for drinking water, agriculture, the environment, and industry, it seems that the provinces benefiting from the dam will face difficult conditions. Ehsani, who manages the Integrated Water Resources Office of the Central Plateau of Iran, indicates that rainfall and runoff in the upstream basin of the Zayandeh Rud Dam are entering the dam, but in the downstream basin, which connects to the east and west of Isfahan and the Gavkhouni Wetland, the rainfall situation is significantly worse than in the upstream basin. He states that rainfall from the beginning of the water year until the end of Farvardin has been about 22 percent less than the same period last year. Esfand, Farvardin, Ordibehesht, and Khordad are the golden four-month period for the Zayandeh Rud basin, during which the most water is accumulated in the dam. However, two months into this four-month period, about 80 percent of the dam remains empty. The Zayandeh Rud Dam, which is built on the Zayandeh Rud River, plays a crucial role in controlling seasonal floods, managing agricultural water needs for Isfahan's lands, and providing hydroelectric energy. The Zayandeh Rud, or Zayandeh River, is the largest river in the Central Plateau of Iran, flowing approximately 200 kilometers eastward through the central desert of Iran and eventually draining into the Gavkhouni Wetland. For years, this river has dried up for various reasons, including the establishment of heavy industries alongside it, the expansion of water pipelines from the Zayandeh Rud Dam to Kerman, Yazd, Kashan, and Qom, and excessive water extraction for prolonged dry periods. Following prolonged droughts, the Iranian Parliament approved the Beheshtabad plan in 2005, which aimed to transfer water from the Zagros region to the Central Plateau of Iran; however, this plan was halted with the rise of the ninth government. In Esfand 2012, some farmers from Isfahan attacked water transfer facilities in protest against the drying up of the Zayandeh Rud and the diversion of its water to Yazd province, causing damage. Despite extensive expert discussions regarding the drying of the Zayandeh Rud, the river continued to experience drought until Aban 2014 when part of the dam's water flowed back into the riverbed, reviving the Zayandeh Rud. However, according to Mehrzad Ehsani, this river may witness drought again.