Modern comparative studies have indicated the possibility of building a dam at a location in Matam, in the upper reaches of the Blue Nile, to create a reservoir with a capacity of 4,000 million cubic meters. This is in addition to a reserve of 3,000 million cubic meters, taken from the flood of each year and used in the following spring. This quantity is more than sufficient to mature the cotton crop on one-third of a million feddans in Sudan, without drawing a single drop from the river's supply for this purpose. It is possible to secure this quantity from the flood when it flows to the sea.

This is the function of the reservoir in years of average or high flood. As for scarce years, the amount that Egypt can allow Sudan to irrigate, whether for storage or direct use, does not exceed about 2,000 million cubic meters. This quantity can be taken from the peak of the flood as the water flows to the sea, even in a scarce year like 1913. By the end of spring in that year, all the aforementioned reserve of 4,000 million cubic meters, plus the 2,000 million cubic meters taken from the peak of the flood, will have been used to mature cotton and food crops on one-third of a million feddans.

If one million feddans are cultivated, and before the end of the year, the reservoir of the upper Blue Nile will be empty, as it was in 1913. By then, not a single drop will have been taken from the Blue Nile that Egypt needs at that time.

If the flood is very high, the reservoir will hold 7,000 million cubic meters of the river's water, most of which will be released at the peak of the flood into the drainage system, lowering the flood level in Egypt.

The construction of this dam is crucial for Sudan's future. Egypt can obtain what it needs from the White Nile, but Sudan cannot benefit from the Blue Nile's water unless it is regulated. Egypt will also benefit from this dam, which is considered one of the most important Nile regulation projects. The dam will be built where the water is still clear of silt, making it easier to manage at the peak of the flood.

As for Sudan, if a dam is not built in some locations in the upper reaches of the Blue Nile, the irrigation that can be achieved in the Gezira plain will be limited by the natural flow of the river. If the capacity of the reservoir in the upper Blue Nile is as we mentioned, it would be possible to meet all of Sudan's demands, even after it reaches its full potential. Until the construction of dams and the Albert Lake reservoir, Egypt will allocate excess water for its agricultural development in years of scarcity. However, it is believed that Sudan can achieve its full potential for expansion in the last quarter of the century, and this is possible when desired.

It is estimated that a reservoir with a capacity of 7,000 million cubic meters would be completed around 1920. The cost of this dam is estimated at £E 1,500,000, but it should not be forgotten that the costs associated with this dam are only approximate estimates. All the information we have supports the feasibility of implementing the project according to the plan, but specific proposals cannot be presented before several years of research and investigation.