Meraldene River

This article is about Meraldene. For other uses, see Meraldene (disambiguation).

The Oued Meraldene or Oued Merabtene, also called Oued Bourdine, is a river of Algeria located in Kabylia within the framework of the Province of Boumerdès.

Meraldene River وادي المرابطين
Meraldene Dam
Etymology	Marabouts stream
Nickname(s)	إيغزر ن مرابظن
Native name	وادي مغلدن (Arabic)
Location
Commune	Thénia
District	Thénia
Province	Boumerdès
Region	Kabylie
Country	Algeria
Physical characteristics
Source
• location	Beni Amrane
• coordinates	36°40′46″N 3°32′14″E
• elevation	590 m
Mouth	Boumerdès River
• location	Boumerdès
• coordinates	36°43′56″N 3°31′58″E
• elevation	140 m
Length	10,500 m (34,400 ft)
Basin size	140,000 m2 (1,500,000 sq ft)
Width
• minimum	5 m (16 ft)
• average	7 m (23 ft)
• maximum	9 m (30 ft)
Depth
• minimum	3 m (9.8 ft)
• average	8 m (26 ft)
• maximum	13 m (43 ft)
Discharge
• location	Thénia
• average	25 m3/s (880 cu ft/s)
• minimum	20 m3/s (710 cu ft/s)
• maximum	30 m3/s (1,100 cu ft/s)
Basin features
Progression	Beni Amrane, Thénia, Boumerdès
River system	River regime, Drainage system
Tributaries
• left	Arbia River
• right	Boufroun River
Waterbodies	Meraldene Dam
Bridges	National Road No. 5

Presentation

The Meraldène stream is one of the main tributaries of the Boumerdès River which is a river that finds its mouth in the Mediterranean Sea.

This river takes its source in the heights of the current commune of Beni Amrane in the Khachna Massif which shelters the peak of Bouzegza Mount.

At an altitude of 590 meters above sea level near the villages of Beni Khelifa and Azela, Oued Meraldene is born to take its course on a river bed that juts out into the current town of Thénia.

This area is rich in water resources thus feeds the Oued which then traces its route between the villages of Tabrahimt, Meraldene, Gueddara, Soumâa, Tizouighine before reaching the plateau of the village Louz.

Mouth

The Meraldene River rises in flood especially during the winter and the Oued becomes impassable and dangerous, and causes floods that spread to the village of Louz beyond which it finds its mouth with the Boumerdès River which springs also from the heights of Beni Amrane and then flows into the Mediterranean.

It is because of the floods and the rising waters of the two Oueds at the level of this mouth that a bridge was built on the National Road No. 5 to pass the water and not to block road traffic.

Dam

Main article: Meraldene Dam

Given the profusion of water flowing through Oued Meraldene, a hydraulic dam was built to store part of its flowing water.

The Meraldene Dam was built between 1911 and 1913 to provide answers to economic questions related to the continuous supply of drinking water, often so difficult to achieve.

This is how on 26 February 1913, this important dam was completed and inaugurated and on its final acceptance.

It is a hydraulic structure 14 meters high by 70 meters wide, blocking the Meraldene Valley, and which can hold a water volume of 30,000 cubic meters.

This stored water was intended for supplying machine depots and railway workshops in the city of Thénia concurrently with the direct intake 300 meters upstream.

The design of this important hydraulic structure made it possible to collect sufficient water for the industrial needs of the Thénia region.

Its final acceptance was made with the dam full, with all the conditions that were met such as the connection of electricity to operate its pumps.

Gallery

• 
  Meraldene Dam
• 
  Meraldene Ravin.

See also

• List of rivers of Algeria
• Meraldene Dam
• Khachna Massif
• List of dams of Algeria
• Bouzegza Mount
• National Road No. 5 (Algeria)

External links

• Meraldene Dam on YouTube