Morocco’s dam reserves received a significant boost in March, with the national fill rate climbing from 70% at the start of the month to 73.7% by March 30, according to data published by Le360 news platform. The month’s rainfall added a total of 925.1 million cubic meters to the country’s water storage, bringing cumulative reserves to 12,658.6 million cubic meters across all major dams.
The strongest individual performer was Bin El Ouidane, which surged from 74% to 92% fill capacity, absorbing 213 million cubic meters on its own. The Ahmed El Hansali dam also recorded a substantial gain, jumping from 69% to 81%, while the Idriss 1st dam climbed to 91% after gaining eight points. The Dar Khrofa dam reached full saturation at 100% capacity. Al Massira, Morocco’s largest dam by volume, posted a more modest recovery, rising three points to 34%, still well below its potential.
Not all reservoirs moved in the same direction. Al Wahda lost 87.2 million cubic meters during the period, falling back to 85% fill. Oued El Makhazine, which had started the month at full capacity, dropped to 88% due to water releases and drawdowns. Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah also saw a small decline of 6.7 million cubic meters.
Hydraulic engineer Mohamed Jalil attributed the gains to a continuation of the seasonal precipitation cycle. Spring rains, he noted, follow a different pattern from winter storms — driven by atmospheric instability and solar heating rather than large Atlantic frontal systems, they tend to be more localized but still valuable for recharging pastures, sustaining crops, and extending the hydrological cycle.
Hydrologist Amine Benjelloun cautioned that the real test will come in summer, when agricultural irrigation demand peaks at the same time as rainfall dwindles. However, current storage levels represent a meaningful buffer compared to recent years. Water Minister Nizar Baraka has previously indicated that current reserves should guarantee at least one year of supply for the most vulnerable networks, and up to two years for other regions.
