'Military Report on Iraq. Area 2 (Upper Euphrates)' [‎8v] (21/140)

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5 to 6 feet in 48 hours, in many cases leaving the channels
and crossings altogether changed.
In July and August the channels are continually altering
and this is the most difficult period of river navigation, for
which September, October and November are the best months.
' At present no bridges other than boat bridges have been
constructed ; these are liable to drag their anchors or even to be
entirely broken by a serious flood. To prevent this it may be
necessary to remove a bridge entirely when such floods threaten.
River Gauge Readings (Ramadi Gauge:).
Month.
Mean
Monthly
Readings
for the
Year 1920.
Month.
Mean
Monthly
Readings
for the
Year 1920.
January
152-95
July
152-6
February
153-09
August
151-5
March
154-04
September ...
150-69
April
159-64
October
150-55
May
159-23
November ...
152-38
June
154-30
December ...
151-35
(c) Navigation .—For all practical purposes navigation
between Raqqa and Hit is all downstream in large flat bottomed
boats known as shakturs, which are usually navigated in pairs.
Steamers and country boats of shallow (fraught can proceed
upstream at all seasons of the year as far as Flit, but upstream
of this place, although sailing directions have been prepared
to Dair-al-Zor, it is unlikely that navigation for steam or
petrol-driven vessels would be a commercially paying propo
sition, owing to the number of rapids to be passed and the
numerous obstacles in the river bed, both natural and artificial.
With a full river the current is too strong to allow of the profit
able use of steam or sailing vessels above Hit.
(d) Bridges .—Only two bridges across the Euphrates in the
area under report, one at Dair-al-Zor and the other at Ramadi.
The former is capable of taking traffic up to 4| tons, i.e.,
L.A.M.B. cars, while the latter can take field guns, but not
L.A.M.B. cars.
The Dair-al-Zor bridge is formed of floating shakturs which
are not anchored, but are held in position by ship’s chain cable
laid across the bow and stern of each shaktur. The ends of the