Chapter Three The White Nile Barrages The Historical Perspective - Part One In 1844, an international committee was appointed, consisting of Sir Benjamin Baker and Mr. G. T. Shiell, to report on a project. The project's aim was to increase the Nile's water supply. This committee reviewed several projects, including one for the area north of Wadi Halfa, because the area south of it was occupied by the Mahdist forces at that time.

Among the projects examined was the utilization of Wadi Rayan, west of the Middle Egyptian Nile, as a flood basin. However, this project was rejected, primarily due to the anticipated danger it posed to the Fayoum Governorate by releasing floodwaters.

Later, the project to build the Aswan Dam was finally approved, and this work was completed in 1902.

For details of this committee's report, refer to the reports of the Technical Committee on Reservoirs, published by the Government Press in Cairo in 1894.

After the completion of the Aswan Dam, research focused on increasing the perennial water supply. The results of this research were documented in a memorandum titled "The Nile and its Water Supply for Egypt and the Sudan," authored by Lord Cromer, Sir William Garstin, and Sir Colin Scott-Moncrieff, in 1894. Sir Benjamin Baker and Colonel Lewis also contributed. This memorandum outlined two methods for increasing the water supply: firstly, the construction of barrages on the Nile, and secondly, preventing water loss in the barrage areas. It was found that both methods were ultimately necessary, but it was decided to start with the first, as it was expected to yield benefits more quickly. This led to a detailed study of the Nile between Aswan and Khartoum. Four potential locations for barrages were identified in this region: 1. The cataracts at the Second Cataract. 2. Shiri Island at the Fourth Cataract. 3. The cataracts below Abu Hamed at the Fifth Cataract. 4. The cataracts of Shabluqa, known as the Sixth Cataract.

These four locations were chosen based on the suitability of the rock for construction, the width of the river to accommodate the lower openings for floodwater passage, and the depth of the riverbed not being an impediment to construction. However, none of these four locations met all the conditions.

It was finally decided that the only feasible plan was to build a barrage. Work on this project began in 1907.

Furthermore, the Nile valley north of Khartoum was surveyed, and the issue of building barrages in this region has been extensively researched for over twenty years by Sir William Garstin and Sir Colin Scott-Moncrieff, along with their former advisors and irrigation engineers from the Ministry of Public Works, with the assistance of Sir Benjamin Baker and other distinguished specialists.

The research on increasing the perennial irrigation water supply was continued by Mr. Dewey, former advisor to the Ministry of Public Works, and later by Mr. M. Tottenham, who was then Director-General of the Irrigation Department in Sudan. The research focused on the following projects: 1. Utilization of Wadi el-Kabb, west of the Nile in the Dongola Governorate, as a flood basin. 2. Utilization of Wadi Mugdam, west of the Nile and northwest of Khartoum, as a flood basin and reservoir. 3. Flood protection in the Atbara region. 4. Providing additional water in the barrage areas. 5. Building a barrage on the White Nile near Khartoum for flood protection and storage. 6. Irrigating the Gezira region by building a barrage on the Blue Nile near Sennar.