AFGHANISTAN Helmand

Basin

Kabul

Basin

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2008–3059

July 2008

Prepared under the auspices of the U.S. Agency for International Development

Streamflow Characteristics of Streams in the Helmand 

Basin, Afghanistan

Introduction 

A majority of the Afghan population lacks adequate and safe supplies of water because of contamination, lack of water-resources 

management regulation, and lack of basic infrastructure, compounded by periods of drought and seasonal flooding. Characteristics of 

historical streamflows are needed to assist with efforts to quantify the water resources of the Helmand Basin.

The Helmand Basin is the largest river basin in Afghanistan. It comprises the southern half of the country, draining waters from 

the Sia Koh Mountains in Herat Province to the eastern mountains in Gardez Province (currently known as the Paktia Province) and 

the Parwan Mountains northwest of Kabul, and finally draining into the unique Sistan depression between Iran and Afghanistan 

(Favre and Kamal, 2004). The Helmand Basin is a desert environment with rivers fed by melting snow from the high mountains and 

infrequent storms. Great fluctuations in streamflow, from flood to drought, can occur annually.

Knowledge of the magnitude and time distribution of streamflow is needed to quantify water resources and for water management 

and environmental planning. Agencies responsible for the development and management of Afghanistan’s surface-water resources 

can use this knowledge for making safe, economical, and environmentally sound water-resource planning decisions. To provide the 

Afghan managers with necessary streamflow information, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the U.S. Agency 

for International Development (USAID), computed streamflow statistics for data collected at historical gaging stations within the 

Helmand Basin. The historical gaging stations used are shown in figure 1 and listed in table 1.

History of the Streamflow-Gaging Program in 

Afghanistan

River discharge measurements began in Afghanistan in 

the mid-1940s at a few sites. The number of sites increased 

over the years until the late 1970s. Measurements were 

discontinued soon after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 

1979. Until 1978, Afghanistan had a network of approximately 

160 streamflow-gaging stations. No streamflow data were 

collected after September 1980 until recently. In 2005, three 

historical streamflow-gaging stations were reestablished in the 

Kabul Basin, and in 2008, much of the historic network is in the 

process of being reestablished.

Explanation of Station Summaries

Station summaries are presented in the report by WilliamsSether (2008). Summaries include a station description, 

streamflow statistics, and probabilities of streamflow 

occurrence. Because the statistical information listed in the 

report was created by data retrievals or from statistical program 

results, significant figures were not always rounded to USGS 

standards. Information found in the report includes:

1. manuscript (station description),

2. graph of the annual mean discharge for the period of 

record,

3. table of statistics of monthly and annual mean discharges,

4. graph of the annual flow duration,

5. table of monthly and annual flow duration,

6. table of probability of occurrence of annual high 

discharges,

7. table of probability of occurrence of annual low discharges,

8. table of probability of occurrence of seasonal low 

discharges,

9. table of annual peak discharge and corresponding gage 

height for the period of record, and 

10. table of monthly and annual mean discharges for the period 

of record.
Table 1. List of streamflow-gaging stations for which streamflow statistics are published.

[ID, identification; USGS, U.S. Geological Survey]

Map number Afghan ID number USGS ID number Station name

1 3-0.000-2M 324200068060000 Ghazni River near Shina

2 3-0.000-7M 333300068250000 Ghazni River at Ghazni Bridge

3 3-0.000-7S 333800068250000 Ghazni River at Nauburja

4 3-0.000-8W 334500068230000 Ghazni River below Seraj Reservoir

5 3-1.1L0-5T 330000068520000 Park River near Park Dasht

6 3-4.1L0-8T 330800069050000 Paltu River near Sarafsar

7 3-4.L00-1A 331600068420000 Paltu River above Sarde Reservoir

8 3-4.L00-2A 331800068370000 Jilga River below Sarde Reservoir

9 3-4.L00-7A 333500069130000 Jilga River at Gardez

10 3-4.L00-9T 334900069230000 Jilga River near Mechalghu

11 3-5.R00-3T 333100068210000 Syaghel River at Syaghel

12 3-8.1L0-1W 334600068210000 Barikab River above Seraj Reservoir

13 3-8.R00-1W 334601068210000 Sarab River above Seraj Reservoir

14 4-0.000-1M 310200061520000 Shele Charkh River near Zaranj

15 4-0.000-2M 304800061460000 Helmand River at Khwabgah

16 4-0.000-3M 301700062020000 Helmand River at Char Burjak

17 4-0.000-4M 302700063220000 Helmand River at Malakhan

18 4-0.000-5M 310800064110000 Helmand River at Darweshan

19 4-0.000-6M 313400064210000 Helmand River at Lashkargah

20 4-0.000-6S 314800064350000 Helmand River at Girishk

21 4-0.000-7M 321900065060000 Helmand River below Kajakai Reservoir

22 4-0.000-8M 324200065280000 Helmand River at Dehraout

23 4-0.000-9M 332300066170000 Helmand River at Gizab

24 4-0.000-10M 343000068160000 Helmand River at Gardandewal

25 4-1.21R-7A 323200067280000 Tarnak River near Shahjuy

26 4-1.222R-6A 320000067180000 Lora River near Shinkay

27 4-1.22R-1A 312600065550000 Arghastan River near Kandahar

28 4-1.2L0-5A 311300065570000 Dori River at Takhtapul

29 4-1.L00-1A 313000064230000 Arghandab River at Qala-i-Bust

30 4-1.L00-3A 313700065340000 Arghandab River near Kandahar

31 4-1.L00-4A 315000065520000 Arghandab River below Arghandab Reservoir

32 4-1.L00-5A 315700066020000 Arghandab River above Arghandab Reservoir

33 4-1.L00-6A 321000066270000 Arghandab River at Mizan

34 4-1.L00-9A 330800067280000 Arghandab River at Sang-i-Masha

35 4-13.R00-4A 341400066550000 Punjab River at Waras

36 4-14.R00-1A 342100067290000 Markhana River at Dahane Rishqa

37 4-16.R00-3A 343400068110000 Syashang River near Gardandewal

38 4-3.L00-2T 320300064500000 Sangin Wash (Seraj Canal) at Sangin

39 4-4.R00-2A 321700064460000 Musa Qala River near Musa Qala

40 4-5.L00-1A 323800065340000 Tirin River at Anarjuy/Dehraout

41 4-5.L00-4A 323800065560000 Tirin River at Tirin

42 4-5.L00-8A 325800066390000 Tirin River at Urosgan

43 4-6.R00-1A 325800065300000 Kaj River at Yakhdan

44 5-0.000-4W 315500063070000 Khash River at Dehmazang

45 5-0.000-5M 320900063260000 Khash River at Dilaram

46 6-0.000-3M 322200062040000 Farah River at Farah

47 6-0.000-4S 324500062370000 Farah River near Daulatabad

48 6-0.000-5M 325100062520000 Farah River near Petch Tangi

49 6-0.L00-1A 325100063180000 Malmand River near Shawalat

50 7-0.000-7M 333800062160000 Adraskan River at Adraskan

51 7-5.R00-1A 334200062170000 Rud-i-Gaz River near Adraskan
64° 68°

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Base from U.S. Geological Survey,

Afghanistan Information Management Services

GCS (Geographic Coordinate Systems) 

WGS (World Geodetic System) 1984 datum

0

0

HERAT

FARAH

HELMAND

GHOR

NIMROZ

KANDAHAR

URUZGAN

GHAZNI

ZABUL

PAKTIKA

BAMYAN

WARDAK

PAKTIA

Park Dasht

Waras

Mizan

Farah

Shina

Tirin

Zaranj

Sangin

Shinkay

Urosgan

Girishk

Shahjuy

Kandahar

Dehmazang

Darweshan

Musa Qala

Takhtapul

Malakhan

Lashkargah

Daulatabad

34

Gizab

Kajakai

Ghazni

Yakhdan

Paltu R

Anarjuy

Dilaram

Gardez

Syaghel

Sarafsar

Nauburja

Dehraout

Khwabgah

Adraskan

Mechalghu

Tirin

Petch Tangi

Shawalat

Char Burjak

Gardandewal

Dahane Rishqa

Sang-i-Masha

Qala-i-Bust

Arghandab

Reservoir

Kajakai Reservoir

Seraj Reservoir

4

31

9

8 7

5 6

3

2

1

50

49 48 47

46

45

44

43 42

41

40

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38

37

35 36

33

32

30

29

28

27

26

25

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23

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12

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62° 66°

32°

Sistan Wetlands

Sistan Depression

Farah

River

River

Khash

R

Helmand

River

A

draskan

R

Arghastan R

Park River

Ghazni R

EXPLANATION

Streamflow-gaging stations

Settlements

Capital city

#

!

Sarde Reservoir

Tarnak R

17

Arghandab

Helmand R

R

Kabul

Helmand

Basin

Sia Koh Mountains

TURKMENISTAN

IRAN

PAKISTAN

UZBEKISTAN

Parwan Mountains

AFGHANISTAN

CHINA

TAJIKISTAN

100 KILOMETERS

50 MILES

Dori River

Figure 1. Location of streamflow-gaging stations for which streamflow statistics are published.

Data Considerations

The historical daily values used for the statistical analyses 

were obtained from Brigham (1964); Childers (1974); 

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Water and 

Power Hydrologic yearbooks (date unknown, 1978, 1982); 

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Irrigation and 

Water Resources Hydrologic yearbook (1985); and Republic 

of Afghanistan, Ministry of Water and Power Hydrologic 

yearbook (1977). The reliability of statistical calculations for 

a stream is related to the length of record available for that 

stream. The Hydrology Subcommittee of the Interagency 

Advisory Committee on Water Data (1982) recommends 

that at least 10 years of record be used for computing flood 

frequency estimates. However, the record length for gaging 

stations in Afghanistan varies substantially and periods of 

record less than 10 years were used in some instances so that 

preliminary statistics could be computed for all gaging stations. 

Subsequently, extreme high or low flows were included in 

the statistical analysis regardless of the length of record. 

Differences in statistical data for pre- and post-regulation 

periods were not addressed.

Report and Data Retrieval

The report (Williams-Sether, 2008) may be viewed 

and downloaded from the following link: http://pubs.usgs.

gov/ds/333/. Daily values are available online from the U.S. 

Geological Survey National Water Information System Web 

Interface found at the following link: http://waterdata.usgs.gov/

nwis. An agency code of USAID and the USGS identification 

numbers listed in table 1 are required to retrieve daily values. 

Annual peakflow data are not available online, but are listed 

in the online report. Daily values and annual peakflow data 

may also be requested from the U.S. Geological Survey North 

Dakota Water Science Center found at the following link: http://

nd.water.usgs.gov/.

References Cited

Brigham, R.H., 1964, Compilation of hydrologic data, Helmand 

River Valley, Afghanistan through September 1960: U.S. 

Geological Survey, 234 p.
Childers, Dallas, 1974, Compilation of streamflow records, 

Helmand River Valley and adjacent areas, Afghanistan 

1961–68: U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report 74–46, 

144 p.

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Irrigation and 

Water Resources, 1985, Hydrological yearbook 1979–1980, 

Part (I and II) Rivers of Indus and Helmand Basin (Kabul, 

Khuram, Helmand, and Ghazni): Institute of Water Resources 

Development, Afghanistan Hydrologic Data Report RO 211, 

131 p.

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Water and 

Power, date unknown, Hydrological yearbook 1961–1975, 

Part II–4B, Arghandab River basin: Water and Soil Survey 

Department, Afghanistan Hydrologic Data Report RO 215, 

121 p.

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Water and 

Power, date unknown, Hydrological yearbook 1961–1975, 

Part III, West flowing rivers (Khash, Farah, Adraskan, and 

Harirud): Water and Soil Survey Department, Afghanistan 

Hydrologic Data Report RO 219, 77 p.

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Water and 

Power, date unknown, Hydrological yearbook 1962–1975, 

Part II–3, Ghazni River basin: Water and Soil Survey Department, Afghanistan Hydrologic Data Report RO 217, 109 p.

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Water and 

Power, 1978, Hydrological yearbook 1961–1975, Part II–4A, 

Helmand River basin (excluding Arghandab River basin); 

Water and Soil Survey Department, Afghanistan Hydrologic 

Data Report RO 210, 244 p.

Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Water and 

Power, 1982, Hydrological yearbook 1976–1978, Part II, 

Rivers of Helmand Basin (Ghazni and Helmand); Water 

and Soil Survey Department, Afghanistan Hydrologic Data 

Report RO 212, 146 p.

Favre, R., and Kamal, G.M., 2004, Watershed atlas of Afghanistan: Kabul, Afghanistan, Afghanistan Information Management Service, 183 p.

Hydrology Subcommittee of the Interagency Advisory Committee on Water Data, 1982, Guidelines for determining flood 

flow frequency: Hydrology Subcommittee Bulletin 17B, 

28 p., 14 appendixes.

Republic of Afghanistan, Ministry of Water and Power, 1977, 

Hydrological yearbook 1961–1975, Part III–5 to 7, Khash, 

Farah and Adraskan River basins: Water and Soil Survey 

Department, Afghanistan Hydrologic Data Report RO 223, 

114 p.

Williams-Sether, Tara, 2008, Streamflow characteristics of 

streams in the Helmand Basin, Afghanistan: U.S. Geological 

Survey Data Series 333, 341 p.

—Tara Williams-Sether

USGS Afghanistan Project Product Number 177

This study was funded by Interagency Agreement 07C442100KB between the U.S. Agency for 

International Development and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Photographs courtesy of Donald C. Houk, advisor to the U.S. Agency for International Development; 

and Verne R. Schneider, U.S. Geological Survey.