Gereb Bi'ati

Gereb Bi’ati is a reservoir located near Mekelle in the Tigray Region in Ethiopia. The earthen dam that holds the reservoir was built in 2000 by SAERT.

Dam characteristics

Dam height: 17 metres
Dam crest length: 578 metres
Spillway width: 40 metres

Capacity

Original capacity: 1005841 m³
Dead storage: 232728 m³
Reservoir area: 17 ha
Designed irrigated area: 88 ha

Environment

The catchment of the reservoir is 9.71 km² large, with a perimeter of 14.24 km and a length of 4960 metres. Due to the possibility to by-pass sediment-laden water, the reservoir suffers from less rapid siltation. The lithology of the catchment is Agula Shale and Mekelle Dolerite. Part of the water that could be used for irrigation is lost through seepage; the positive side-effect is that this contributes to groundwater recharge.