Lake Urmia water levels rise significantly following increased rainfall

Lake Urmia has seen a significant increase in water levels and surface area compared to the previous year. Recent data indicates the water level has risen by 110 centimeters, reaching 1,270.58 meters above sea level. The water volume in the basin has reached approximately 2.52 billion cubic meters, a nearly tenfold increase from the previous year when levels fell below 260 million cubic meters.

The surface area of the lake has expanded to approximately 1,946 square kilometers, an increase of more than 1,473 square kilometers over the past year. This improvement is attributed largely to increased precipitation, which was 43 percent higher than the same period last year and 13 percent above the long-term average.

Despite these positive developments, officials caution that the drought crisis is not yet fully resolved. While the current status marks the beginning of a restoration trend, long-term stability depends on river management, irrigation pattern reforms in West Azerbaijan, and the status of regional reservoirs. Currently, dam reservoirs in East Azerbaijan are reported to be at approximately 40 percent capacity.