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      • The Lakes Form
      • The Lakes Shrink
      • Submerged Dunes
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The Lakes Form A Toshka Project, Egypt story

Agriculture  / 
Deserts  / 
Water
  1. Toshka Project, Egypt
  2. The Lakes Form
Description

The Aswan High Dam on the Nile River was completed in 1970 for flood protection and to store water during dry years. The dam formed Lake Nasser, the third largest reservoir in the world by volume. A small portion of this lake is visible in the lower right corner of the images.

In 1978, a spillway and channel were built as a precaution against any unexpected increase in Lake Nasser’s water level. The channel can divert water from the reservoir to the Toshka basin, which is located outside the Nile basin. This design reduces pressure on the dam and protects downstream areas from massive flooding.

In 1998, excess rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands tested the flood control plan. The huge reservoir reached its maximum stage of 183 meters above sea level in September. The overflow water streamed through the spillway and into the Toshka basin forming the Toshka lakes. Around 32 to 98 million cubic meters of water per day poured into the basin during September and October.

The lakes reached their maximum collective size in August 2001. Their area remained fairly stable through August 2003. The water supply from Lake Nasser continuously replaced water lost through evaporation. As the level of Lake Nasser subsided, the water supply from the reservoir stopped and the lakes started diminishing.

View Related Imagery & Stories

Location

Sept. 20, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Sept. 20, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Oct. 22, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Oct. 22, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Nov. 7, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Nov. 7, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Jan. 26, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Jan. 26, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Feb. 27, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Feb. 27, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Mar. 31, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Mar. 31, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Aug. 6, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Aug. 6, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Sept. 20, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Oct. 22, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Nov. 7, 1998, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Jan. 26, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Feb. 27, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Mar. 31, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt
Aug. 6, 1999, Landsat 5 (path/row 175/44) — Formation of Toshka Lakes, Egypt

Toshka Project, Egypt Additional Imagery & Stories

Irrigated Fields
Irrigated Fields

The Landsat images show the appearance of center-pivot irrigation fields near one of the diminishing lakes. As of 2012, however, only about 21,000 hec...

Read More
Pumping Station
Pumping Station

As part of the Toshka Project, a pumping station sends water from Lake Nasser to irrigated fields in the Toshka basin. The Mubarak Pumping Station has...

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Submerged Dunes
Submerged Dunes

These close-ups of one of the larger lakes show how the formation and reduction of the lakes affected sand dunes. Sand dunes became inundated as the ...

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The Lakes Shrink
The Lakes Shrink

The only two places for water in this arid region to go are into the air or into the ground. The underlying limestone prevents much ground infiltratio...

Read More
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