The Atatürk Reservoir (Turkish: Atatürk Baraj Gölü) is a reservoir on the Euphrates, created by the Atatürk Dam in Turkey. It is located between Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa, and Diyarbakır provinces. The reservoir has a surface area of 817 km2 and a volume of 48.5 cubic kilometers, making it the third largest lake in the country after Lake Van and Lake Tuz. It was formed between 1990 and 1992. The reservoir water level touched 535 amsl in 1994. Since then, it varies between 526 and 537 m amsl. The full reservoir level is 542 m , and the minimum operation level is 526 m amsl.
Some 10 towns and 156 villages of three provinces are located around the Atatürk Reservoir. The reservoir has changed the climate and vegetation of the region. The lake provides a fisheries and recreation site. For transportation purposes, several ferries have been operated in the reservoir.
Atatürk Reservoir is an abundant source of food for local people and also provides opportunities for recreational fishing. In 1992, around 200,000 young fish, propagated in DSIs Atatürk Fish Hatchery, were introduced into the reservoir. Since then, the figure of fingerlings stocked into the lake reached around 33 million.
Commercially fishing in the reservoir developed to a catch of around annually 1,000 tons of some fish species with a market value of US$1.26 million. 8 of the 12 fish species being caught are economically valuable. In addition, the lake has a potential for cage culture of 7,000 tons/year worth of US$14 million.
