The Origin and Path of the Euphrates River: A Quick Overview
The Euphrates River: Origin and Physical Properties
The Euphrates River is the longest river in Southwest Asia, with its starting points at the Murat River, originating from Ağrı Diyadin, and the Karasu River, originating from Erzurum Dumludağ. These rivers meet at the provincial borders of Elazığ and form the Euphrates River. The river passes through several provinces in Turkey including Erzincan, Sivas, Tunceli, Elazığ, Malatya, Diyarbakır, Adıyaman, Gaziantep, and Şanlıurfa, before flowing into Syria and later Iraq. It ultimately joins with the Tigris River to form the Shatt al-Arab, emptying into the Persian Gulf.
The Euphrates River is home to some of Turkey’s most significant dams, including the Keban Dam in Elazığ, the Karakaya Dam in Malatya-Elazığ, the Atatürk Dam in Adıyaman-Şanlıurfa, the Birecik Dam in Birecik, and the Karkamış Dam in Kargamış. In addition, the Tabqa Dam in Syria, the largest dam on the Euphrates with a height of 60 meters and a length of 4.5 km, plays a crucial role in the river’s management.
With a total length of 2,800 km and 1,263 km of that within the borders of Turkey, the Euphrates River has a water catchment basin of 720,000 km². It carries an average of 30 billion m³ of water annually, with 80% of this water originating from above the Keban dam. The river flow fluctuates throughout the year, reaching 2000 m³/sec in spring due to rain and snowmelt, and decreasing to its lowest level in September-October.
The Euphrates River’s flow is more regular than other rivers in Turkey, swelling slowly between March and June, and receding between July and January. It plays a crucial role in the ecosystem and is vital for both agriculture and the economy in the region.
