'Report on the Development of Mesopotamia with Special Reference to the Regeneration of the River Systems' [‎11] (17/50)

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(23) At Sanaawa, 240 kilometres below Mussaib. the two branches, ftindia
and Hilla, of the river unite and flow in one broad channel past Nasiriyah to Suk-
esh-Sheyukh, a distance of 190 kilometres, and from this point there is complete
disintegration.
At the date of the Chesney expedition, 1837, the river ran in a well-defined
and deep channel from Suk-esh-Sheyukh past Chabaish to Kurnah, where it joined
the Tigris—the two rivers forming the Shatt-el-Arab ; but between that date and the
present, the right bank from near Suk-esh-Sheyukh to Kurnah has been destroyed,
and the river running in numerous shallow channels forms in the flood season one
huge lake which enters the Shatt-el-Arab at Garmat Ali, five miles above Basra.
Sir William Willcocks puts the date of the breach in the bank of the river between
Suk-esh-Sheyukh and Kurnah at about 1880, and atrributes it to the river being
unable to carry its own water flus the spill from the Tigris when in flood ; but
Commander Felix Jones writing in 1853 remarks as follows: " The Euphrates has
entirely lost its character as a navigable river for many years past, owing to the
embankment which formerly controlled the spring floods in the lower part between
Suk-esh-Sheyukh and Kurnah having been swept away about 10 years back."
The exact date is of little importance ; the fact remains that the river at present
is in as bad a state as a river can possibly be. The accompanying plan of the
district between Nasiriyah and Kurnah illustrates the position, which I will des
cribe in detail as follows.
(24) After the bursting of the right bank and the formation of the Hamar Lake,
the bulk of the water still ran past Suk-esh-Sheyukh and down or near the Mezlik,
but about 40 years ago the Arabs of the Beni Khaizan tribe cut the Hakika channel
originally as a small stream a yard wide. As time went on the Hakika channel
increased in size, other creeks formed, until finally the bulk of the water of the
Euphrates was diverted to the Hakika, and the Euphrates began rapidly to de
teriorate and to silt up, with the result that the extensive date gardens extending
from above to 12 miles below Suk were threatened with destruction ; whilst the
area under lice cultivation in the Suk delta, which is recognised as the principal
rice-growing district in Mesopotamia, was greatly curtailed in area. The tribes
were seized with a panic and made a desperate effort to remedy matters : six tribes
combining forces to build a bund across the Hakika channel. The first and second
year the dam burst, but the third year the work was completed and the waters
diverted to their original channel.
(25) With the advance of the Expeditionary Force to Nasiriyah, the Hakika
channel was selected as the most suitable ; and on the force reaching the bund it
was demolished. From that time to the present the Hakika channel has remained
open and increased in size to the detriment, not to say destruction, of all agri
culture in the neighbourhood of Suk-esh-Sheyukh and the ruin of the tribes in
that locality.
(e) SIR WILLIAM WILCOCKS'S IRRIGATION PROJECT.
(26) Sir William Willcocks contemplates the ultimate utilization of the greater
part of the low-water flow of the rivers Tigris and Euphrates and their tributaries
for irrigation purposes ; but for the schemes he has immediately in view, he estimates
that in time of low supply 7,060 cusecs would be taken from the Euphrates and
4,240 cusecs from the Tigris, or, from both rivers, 11,300 cusecs. It may be noted
that the low-water discharges of the Tigris at Baghdad averages 14,000 cuseces,
and the Euphrates at Hit 16,000 cusecs: so that during the low-water season
about one-third of the total supply would be diverted for irrigation purposes.
The project comprises six independent irrigation schemes, watered from the Tigris,
Euphrates, and Diala, respectively, and the following analysis of the various