Agriculture in Syria runoff most of the year. The river flows southeastward across the arid Syrian Plateau into Iraq, where it joins the Tigris River shortly before emptying into the Persian Gulf. In addition to Syria, both Turkey and Iraq use dams on the Euphrates for hydroelectric power, water control, storage, and irrigation. In the mid-1980s, about a half of the annual Euphrates River flow was used by these three countries. Syrians have long used the Euphrates for irrigation, but, because the major systems were destroyed centuries ago, they now make only limited use of the river's flow. In the mid-1980s, the Euphrates
Euphrates Tunnel Euphrates Tunnel The Euphrates Tunnel was allegedly a tunnel which was built under the Euphrates river to connect the two halves of the city of Babylon, in the old Mesopotamia. Archaeologists believe it was built between 2180 and 2160 BCE. No other sub-aqueous pedestrian tunnel was attempted until Marc Brunel built the Thames Tunnel beginning in 1824 CE. Construction allegedly began with a temporary dam across the Euphrates river, and proceeded using a "cut and cover" technique. The tunnel allegedly spanned 12 feet high and 15 feet wide, it is presumed that it was used by pedestrians and horse driven