M’Dez Dam: Filling of a New Hydraulic Structure in the Sebou Basin

Article from L’Opinion, published in 2024.
Read the original article: lopinion.ma

The filling of the M’Dez dam marks a new step in the development of hydraulic infrastructure in the Sebou basin. The structure is located in the province of Sefrou, southeast of the city. It is part of the projects launched in recent years to strengthen water storage capacity in the region.

With a capacity of around 700 million cubic meters, the M’Dez dam is among the major structures recently built in Morocco.

The filling phase is an important stage. The reservoir begins to fill gradually. This makes it possible to verify the behavior of the structure, monitor the equipment and observe the functioning of the whole before the dam enters full operation.

The dam is built on the M’Dez river, a tributary of the Sebou. The structure reaches approximately 109 meters in height and consists of an embankment dam equipped with a concrete face on the upstream side.

Around the main dam, several hydraulic facilities complete the structure. These include:

• a spillway designed to regulate flows during heavy rainfall
• a bottom outlet to manage stored water volumes
• water intakes to supply the different uses

These installations ensure the proper functioning of the dam under different hydrological situations.

The construction of the M’Dez dam is part of a broader program for dam development in the Sebou basin. The objective is to increase storage capacity and better secure water supply in this part of the country.