The valley of Wadi El-Rayan , 65 km southwest of Fayoum metropolis , inwards Arab Republic of Egypt , is abode to 2 large artificial lakes created to divert excess agricultural drainage H2O from Fayoum oasis. It is too abode to the country’s exclusively waterfalls.
The Fayoum oasis originally drained into Lake Qarun inwards the north. But the lake tin direct maintain exclusively a for sure book of drainage water. Anything over this capacity as well as the lake degree would rising as well as inundation the surrounding dry reason , ofttimes doing irreparable harm because of the waters high tabular array salt content. This way that the total of H2O that tin live on used inwards the Fayoum is express past times the region’s maximum drainage capacity. Consequently , until of late water-intensive crops such every bit rice as well as reeds could live on grown exclusively inwards really small-scale quantities. Furthermore , no novel dry reason could live on reclaimed without causing swamping of existing farmland near Lake Qarun. There was a pressing ask to honor an choice drainage basin , as well as the large depression of Wadi El Rayan was industrial plant life to live on suitable.
Photo credit: Roland Unger/Wikimedia
In 1974 , a 9-kilometers opened upwards channel as well as an 8-kilometers tunnel were cutting through the desert from the western side of the Fayoum depression to the large , dry out depression of Wadi El Rayan. Drainage H2O similar a shot flows into Wadi El Rayan forming 2 large lakes. Water get-go reaches the northern lake as well as when it’s overwhelmed , a current flows towards a deeper purpose of the depression , where around other lake is formed. As the class of the current was eroded , natural rocks were exposed as well as waterfalls formed over them.
There are several cascades on the current , none of them taller than 2 to iv meters. Yet , they direct maintain attracted considerable attending amid the local Egyptians , every bit many direct maintain never seen waterfalls before. The waterfalls direct maintain too been featured inwards many Egyptian popular videos as well as films. The falls , soundless , volition non terminal for always every bit the degree of the lower lake is continually rising as well as the falls volition be exclusively until the expanding surface surface area allows a charge per unit of measurement of evaporation equal to the total of H2O flowing into it.
The shorelines of the lakes are densely vegetated making them perfect wintering habitats for migrating birds as well as breeding topographic point for many fishes. The surface area is similar a shot a nature reserve as well as is abode to the world’s sole population of Slender-horned Gazelles , every bit good every bit 8 other mammal species as well as xiii species of bird.
Wadi El-Rayan Lake. Photo credit: Mohammed Moussa/Wikimedia
Wadi El-Rayan Lake. Photo credit: Mohammed Moussa/Wikimedia
Photo credit: Janne Creste/Flickr
Photo credit: Janne Creste/Flickr
Photo credit: Mona Baizak/Flickr
Photo credit: Mu-Lan Chau/Flickr
An Egyptian human being jumps inwards the H2O of Wadi El-Rayan Waterfalls inwards Fayoum , Arab Republic of Egypt , on March six , 2015. Photo credit: Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa
Photo credit: Hatem Moushir/Wikimedia
Sources: Tour Egypt / Egypt-Uncovered / Wondermondo