Haditha Dam (Arabic,سد حديثة )is a dam on the Euphrates River north of Haditha, Iraq. It is the second largest hydroelectric contributor to the power system in Iraq.
Haditha Dam has a six turbine hydropower plant which at their peak produce 660 MW. The largest producer of hydroelectric power in Iraq is the Mosul Dam, formerly called the Saddam Dam, which produces 1050 MW at its peak.
The dam retains water from Lake Qadisiya (Buhayrat al Qadisiyyah). It was seized by US Army Rangers along with two 81mm mortar teams from HHC 1-502nd Inf. on April 1, 2003.[ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48717-2004Aug7.html "Washington Post", “The Coolest Posting In a Hot War Zone”, 2004-08-08] ] ]It was built with help from Yugoslavia, construction beginning in 1978 and completed in 1986.[ [http://www.grd.usace.army.mil/news/Essayonsforward/documents/Essayons%20Forward%202.pdf US Army Corps of Engineers, "Essayons Forward", 2004-05-03] (PDF)] ]The Haditha Dam has been the headquarters for 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, and many other Coaliton Force units charged with securing the Haditha area. There is also a small detachment of Azerbaijani troops. The Marines and Navy patrol the river and lake in small unit riverine craft, an armed riverine patrol boat.
Local leaders and ministry officials recognize the need to perform major maintenance on the dam. It suffers more from aging than any war damage. Approximately 15km south, just below the towns of Haqlaniyah and Khaffijiyah, there is an incomplete power generating facility. This facility, known as the "Tahadi Project", was designed to be power by heavy fuel from the local K3 oil refinery. When that refinery was brought back into production in 2008 it ignited interest in completing the Tahadi Project, thereby adding capacity to the electrical grid, enabling the dam's generators to be taken off line for major maintenance. Whether this happens remains to be seen as any excess capacity created will likely be needed to meet unsatisfied demand.
References
External links
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/haditha.htm Article/ Satellite photo at Globalsecurity.org]
* [http://www.iraqcoalition.org/pressreleases/20040608_Haditha.html Coalition Provisional Authority news release: “Haditha Dam At Full Operation for First Time Since 1990”, 2004-06-08]
