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.^[1]

Gereb Bi’ati
Gereb Bi’ati
Coordinates	13.44277614°N 39.4747198°E / 13.44277614; 39.4747198
Type	Freshwater artificial lake
Basin countries	Ethiopia
Surface area	0.17 km2 (0.066 sq mi)
Water volume	1.005841×10^6 m3 (815.449 acre⋅ft)
Surface elevation	2,140 m (7,020 ft)
Settlements	Mekelle

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.^[2][3] The lithology of the catchment is Agula Shale and Mekelle Dolerite.^[1] 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.^[4]