Tayyeh et al. (2026) Analysis the impact of hydrological flow patterns on hydropower generation in Haditha dam reservoir

Identification

• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-07
• Authors: Halah Kadhim Tayyeh, Ruqayah Mohammed, Ahmed Mageed Hussein, Brahim Benzougagh, Amnah Alasqah, Khaled Mohamed Khedher, Menawer khalaf Almutairi
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-33263-5

Research Groups

• Water Resources Management Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Al-Qasim Green University, Babylon, Iraq
• Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Babylon, Hilla, Iraq
• Imam Ja’afar Al-Sadiq University, Baghdad, Iraq
• Ministry of Water Resources, Center for Marshlands and Wetlands Revitalization
• Geophysics and Natural Hazards Laboratory, Department of Geomorphology and Geomatics, Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University in Rabat, Rabat-City, Morocco
• Laboratory of Geoengineering and Environment, Cartography and Tectonophysics team (CaTec), Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Meknes-City, Morocco
• Department of Geography, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
• Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
• Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University: College of Social Sciences, Department of Geography and Geographic Information Systems

Short Summary

This research evaluates the performance of the Haditha hydroelectric dam by integrating downstream water demand into a HEC-ResSim simulation model under hydrological fluctuations in the Euphrates River Basin, finding a strong correlation (R² = 0.87) between simulated and actual hydropower generation and highlighting the system's sensitivity to seasonal water availability.

Objective

• To evaluate the performance of the Haditha hydroelectric dam by incorporating downstream water demand into a simulation model under hydrological fluctuations in the Euphrates River Basin.
• To develop an integrated operational model for hydroelectric dams considering downstream water demand variations and analyzing their impact on operational efficiency under changing climatic and hydrological conditions.
• To assess dam performance using quantitative hydroelectric operating indicators.
• To investigate how downstream water demand affects operational performance, how integrated indicators improve assessment, and the impact of long-term climate change on dam operation and water releases.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Haditha Dam reservoir, Euphrates River Basin, western Iraq (Lake Qadisiyah area).
• Temporal Scale: Historical hydrological and operational data from 1985 to 2022; simulation outputs for 2006 to 2022.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: HEC-ResSim model (version 3.3).
• Data sources:
  • Historical hydrological and operational data (inflow, water levels, storage, turbine efficiency) from 1992 to 2022.
  • Husaybah Hydrological Station (Euphrates River Basin).
  • Ministry of Water Resources – National Center for Water Resources Management.
  • General Authority for Dams and Reservoirs.
  • Iraqi Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy.
  • Digital map layers (.shp format) for watershed module.

Main Results

• The HEC-ResSim model showed high efficiency in representing the relationship between discharge, reservoir height, storage capacity, and power production, with a correlation coefficient (R²) of 0.87 between simulated and actual data for the period 1992–2005.
• Hydropower production is directly affected by storage levels and inflow, with highest values recorded during the rainy season (March–April) and lowest during the summer months, particularly August.
• Annual hydropower production for 2006–2022 ranged between 50,715 MWh and 300,105 MWh, demonstrating an annual variability of 17.9%.
• Monthly energy production varied between 70,000 MWh and 150,000 MWh, with a long-term average near 170,000 MWh.
• Over 74% of the annual runoff occurs during the rainy season (November–April), while less than 31% occurs during the dry season (May–October).
• Average monthly water levels remained relatively constant from December to June (139 to 146 meters above sea level), while decreasing to a minimum during July and August (123.0 to 136.3 meters above sea level).
• Average monthly turbine discharge flows ranged between 141 cubic meters per second and 1420 cubic meters per second, with the highest flow in March (average 764.86 cubic meters per second) and the lowest in August (average 138.45 cubic meters per second).

Contributions

• Developed an integrated operational framework based on hydro-operational modeling that incorporates multiple water needs (hydropower, irrigation, flood control) and various quantitative indicators, addressing a gap in previous studies.
• Provided a precise and in-depth analysis of the impact of Euphrates River flow changes on electricity production from the Haditha Dam over four decades.
• Demonstrated the value of numerical modeling (HEC-ResSim) as a decision-support tool for improving water and energy resource use efficiency and enhancing hydropower project sustainability in semi-arid environments.
• Highlighted the importance of balancing multiple operational objectives (hydropower, irrigation, flood control) through flexible and integrated reservoir management strategies, especially under projected climate change.

Funding

• Deanship of Scientific Research at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University Researchers Supporting Project number (PNURSP2025R668), Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Citation

@article{Tayyeh2026Analysis,
  author = {Tayyeh, Halah Kadhim and Mohammed, Ruqayah and Hussein, Ahmed Mageed and Benzougagh, Brahim and Alasqah, Amnah and Khedher, Khaled Mohamed and Almutairi, Menawer khalaf},
  title = {Analysis the impact of hydrological flow patterns on hydropower generation in Haditha dam reservoir},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-025-33263-5},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33263-5}
}