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Djorf Torba Dam (Oued Guir)

Work on the Djorf Torba dam on Wadi Guir was inaugurated by the President of the Council of the Revolution on October 5, 1965. Located 55 km west of Béchar, this dam will, on the one hand, protect the Abadla plain from the devastating floods of the wadi and, on the other hand, ensure seasonal and, if possible, interannual water regulation. The Abadla plain is cultivated in the traditional way at the cost of many hazards. Out of 40,000 ha of surface area, only 1,000 ha are exploited thanks to the natural spreading of water from the Guir wadi and the harvests are therefore subject to major irregularities in floods which do not always occur at the right growing times. The mere fact of protecting the plain from these calamitous events already constitutes a very significant improvement in local agriculture. Interannual regularization will allow the creation of an irrigable area of ​​more than 12,000 ha for the development of traditional winter crops (cereals, fodder) and the introduction of rich irrigated crops such as market gardens, early vegetables, sugar beets, flax, etc. The centers of Béchar, Kenadsa and Abadla are particularly interested in the construction of this dam which will improve the standard of living of a population of nearly 64,000 inhabitants. The structure is a concrete gravity dam whose central part will overflow. The height, in the central part, is 29 m. A 4.50 m wide roadway will be built on the dam to allow crossing of the wadi (Béchar-Méridja road). Its storage capacity is estimated at 296.4 million cubic meters. Ultimately, it will be able to irrigate 5,400 ha of land in the Abadla plain. The work will be completed in February 1969.