Iraq’s Ministry of Water Resources (MWR) purchased the MFDs to remove accumulated silt, sand, and vegetation at each dam’s basin. By performing regular dam maintenance, Iraq’s MWR can maintain the designed water levels at the dams to prevent structural components from being compromised.
Originating in eastern Turkey, the Tigris River measures approximately 1,150 miles long through Iraq and flows in a southeasterly direction. The Euphrates River is approximately 1,700 miles long and also originates in Turkey, flowing southeast across Syria and then through Iraq. The upper Euphrates is quite shallow, allowing only shallow-draft boats to navigate the waters.
The two rivers have a confluence near Al Qurna to form the Shatt al-Arab waterway in southern Iraq, which empties into the Persian Gulf. In this area, an extensive marshland environment is present, making it difficult at times to navigate when water levels are low.
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers are heavily dammed to provide water for irrigating in the semi-desert regions bordering the river valleys as well as creating a source for hydroelectric power. Damming has also been important for averting floods in Iraq, to which the Tigris River has been historically prone following the snowmelt in the Turkish mountains around April.
The Mud Cat MFD-1000 is an amphibious, multi-function, self-launching, versatile dredging machine that is one-truck transportable and can easily operate in many different environmental clean-up projects. It is capable of moving and dredging through shallow water areas where other single purpose dredging machines cannot operate.
The MFD-1000 is designed for maximum productivity. It comes furnished with a single-piece hull built to ABS River Rules, a modern and comfortable cabin, easy-to-use joystick controls, a heavy-duty industrial excavator arm, and an up-to-date diesel engine.