Geology -- Egypt; Nile River; Water-supply -- Egypt
The discharge of 435 cubic metres per second, which the rivers in their
present state, aided by the Lake Albert reservoir, could deliver into
the White Nile, would thus see itself gradually increased to 500, 550,
and 600 cubic metres per second and even more, and would enter the White
Nile past the Sobat mouth in February, March, April and May. During
these months the whole of the supply would pass down the White Nile
without throwing backwater on the rivers. Later on, when the Sobat river
came down in flood and filled up the channel of the White Nile, the
Albert Nile would have its waters reduced at the Albert regulator, and
the waters of Lake Albert would again be stored for the day when the
Sobat floods had fallen and the White Nile channel was free and ready to
take in the waters of the Albert Nile.
While I had contemplated the training of the flood waters of the Albert
Nile through the Sudd regions I had estimated the cost at £100,000 per
annum, for 25 years, or at £2,500,000. Now, however, that Sir William
Garstin has shown how we need only attend to the summer supplies, the
sum may be reduced to half the former figure or to £1,200,000, and be
more than ample. With £2,000,000 devoted to the Lake Albert reservoir
and the training works in the Sudd region, the summer supply of Egypt
and the northern Sudan would be put on a firm base.
Dr. Schweinfurth, the eminent African traveller and savant, was the
first to call the attention of the Egyptian Government to the necessity
of closing the spills from the White Nile to the north of Gondokoro, and
so beginning the training of the river. He very rightly said:--“Many
years would elapse before the desired result would be obtained by the
strengthening of the banks, but the works would be increasingly felt
every year in Egypt as the works progressed.”
35. =Flood protection for Egypt.=--In paragraph 30 it was stated that
the floods in the Delta or in Lower Egypt can rise to a height of from 2
to 3¹⁄₂ metres above the level of the country. Such floods are really
dangerous and means should be found for moderating them.
The Wady Rayan reservoir, when converted into the modern Lake Mœris and
acting as a reservoir, will have one great advantage, it will be able to
lower a high flood 30 centimetres for 50 days. This will give relief to
the Nile, a relief which will be much appreciated by the whole country
from Beni Suef to the sea, and especially by Cairo.
I have already stated that the Damietta branch is especially dangerous
and unfit to act as an escape under existing conditions. That branch
could be regulated on at its head and treated like a canal. Thanks to
Sir Hanbury Brown’s initiative the Barrages can be regulated on in flood
as well as in summer, and by lowering the supply in the Damietta branch
and turning the surplus down the Rosetta branch, the latter would become
the flood escape of the Nile. It might be trained as Mr. Eads suggested
that rivers should be treated.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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