- 63 -Chapter Three Public Works 14 - Irrigation The flood of 1913 was much lower than the average of the previous two years. The Nile levels at the beginning of 1913 indicated that the summer water supply would not be sufficient, especially considering the excess water that flowed into the Aswan Reservoir due to its raising, which exceeded the actual need. Therefore, this year proved that the construction and raising of the reservoir were timely. It also became clear that a larger quantity of water must be stored to meet the demand in years with significantly low floods, and to irrigate the fallow lands as much as possible.

Withdrawal from the stored water began on March 10th and continued until July 31st, which is a very late date. The reliance on stored water lasted for 144 days, whereas this period usually does not exceed one hundred days. Nevertheless, there was no great difficulty in providing sufficient water for irrigation until the beginning of July, except for a few days in April when the demand for water increased due to cotton cultivation.

During the first part of the summer, water was distributed precisely, using only the minimum required. It then became apparent that this strictness was very necessary because the flood arrived later than any known flood in history, coming a full month late. Consequently, there was great difficulty in distributing an adequate and equitable amount of water during July and early August, despite the large quantity of water stored in the reservoir. The flood not only arrived late but also varied greatly in the depth of water flowing in the Nile. The overall result was that the flood of 1913 was the lowest recorded.

Low floods in past years have caused great hardship and famine in the country, but the past flood did not reach the same low level. It is generally understood that the difference between a good and a bad flood is determined by the height reached by the flood levels, not just the volume of water. Therefore, any means that can ensure the flow of water for a sufficient duration at an adequate height will make the flood water sufficient, even if it is one of the lowest floods. To achieve this goal, the reservoir was extended at the beginning of the period of instability to its maximum possible capacity.