09.12.2025 10:40
As the water level in the Sazlıdere Dam, which supplies water to the megacity of Istanbul, decreased, the clearest image of drought emerged. While the soil in the dam was seen to be cracked due to the drought, the remnants of old village houses that appeared in the Sazlıdere Dam, where the water level dropped to 17.32%, were reflected in aerial images.
While the megacity experiences a dry autumn, the water levels in Istanbul's reservoirs are decreasing. According to data from the Istanbul Water and Sewerage Administration (İSKİ), the overall water level in the reservoirs has dropped to 17.81%, marking the lowest beginning of December in the last 5 years. The water level in the reservoirs was 35.2% in 2024, 51.89% in 2023, 33.58% in 2022, and 47.44% in 2021.
OLD VILLAGE HOUSES REVEALED IN SAZLIDERE DAM
Aerial images taken at Sazlıdere Dam revealed that a large portion of the reservoir has receded. With the drop in water levels, the old village houses that were previously submerged have become distinctly visible. According to current İSKİ data, the water level in Sazlıdere Dam has fallen to 17.32%. Due to the drought, islets have emerged in the middle of the dam, and the polluted surroundings of the dam are also reflected in the aerial images.
According to İSKİ's data, as of December 9, the reservoir levels in Istanbul are as follows:
- Ömerli Dam: 13.2%
- Darlık Dam: 27.81%
- Elmalı Dam: 53.91%
- Terkos Dam: 20.47%
- Alibey Dam: 12.69%
- Büyükçekmece Dam: 18.77%
- Sazlıdere Dam: 17.02%
- Istrancalar Dam: 31.83%
- Kazandere Dam: 2.4%
- Pabuçdere Dam: 2.5%