Ankara, Turkey – The escalating drought and insufficient rainfall have pushed water levels in Ankara’s dams to an alarming point. According to the latest data released by the Ankara Water and Sewerage Administration (ASKİ), the total occupancy rate of the dams supplying the capital has fallen to 12.26%, while the actively usable water has dropped to a mere 1.05%.
Alarming Decline in Water Reserves
The critical reduction in active water reserves has reignited calls for city-wide water conservation efforts. Authorities emphasize that the failure of expected winter rainfall to materialize has exacerbated the current situation.
Decreased Inflow to Dams
ASKİ data indicates that at the beginning of 2025, the amount of water flowing into the dams was recorded at 23.485 million cubic meters. This figure peaked in April at 38.344 million cubic meters, marking the highest inflow of the year. However, with the onset of summer, there was a significant decline in the amount of water entering the dams.
On January 4, 2026, the water drawn from Çamlıdere Dam was 427,824 cubic meters, from Kurtboğazı Dam 118,363 cubic meters, and from Kesikköprü Dam 616,520 cubic meters.
Sharp Decline Compared to Last Year
Comparative data highlights the severity of the situation. On January 4, 2025, the total water inflow to the dams was 1.023 million cubic meters. By January 4, 2026, this figure had drastically fallen to 225,329 cubic meters. Over the same period, the total dam occupancy rate dropped from 29.38% to 12.26%.
Experts warn that if the current trend continues, water management and conservation measures in Ankara will become even more crucial. [gazetevatan.com](https://www.gazetevatan.com/gundem/askiden-ankara-icin-su-aciklamasi-barajlardaki-doluluk-orani-en-az-200-gun-gider-2334811) reported on December 17, 2025, that ASKİ General Manager Memduh Aslan Akçay stated there is enough water for at least 200 days, but this does not mean they can be complacent about 2026. He also mentioned that the first floating platform for extracting water from the ‘dead volume’ of Çamlıdere Dam would be operational within two days, and a second within a week, to address the water shortage.
Further reports from [ahaber.com.tr](https://www.ahaber.com.tr/viral/galeri/liste/baraj-doluluk-oranlari-artti-mi-iski-aski-buski-baraj-su-seviyesi-yuzde-kac-oldu) and [sabah.com.tr](https://www.sabah.com.tr/trend/galeri/yasam/baraj-doluluk-orani-istanbul-ankara-bursa-iste-guncel-baraj-oranlari) on December 23, 2025, and December 26, 2025, respectively, confirmed the low dam levels in Ankara, with total occupancy at 12.59% and active usable water at 1.33% around December 23. This marked a significant drop from 29.81% in the same period of the previous year. By December 31, 2025, the total occupancy had slightly decreased to 12.37%, with usable water at 1.14% according to [ahaber.com.tr](https://www.ahaber.com.tr/viral/galeri/liste/yagis-sonrasi-barajlar-ne-kadar-doldu-istanbul-ankara-bursa-su-seviyesi-raport) on January 1, 2026.
The data from December 9, 2025, as reported by [sabah.com.tr](https://www.sabah.com.tr/trend/galeri/yasam/baraj-doluluk-oranlari-10-aralik-2025-istanbul-ankara-izmir-bursa-baraj-doluluk-oranlari-nedir), showed Ankara’s dam occupancy at 12.97% and usable water at 1.60%, indicating a loss of approximately 18% compared to the previous year’s 30.66% for the same period.
Source: egesaati.com.tr
