Mandatory Water Release for Hydroelectric and Water Facilities Increased for Nature
With a new regulatory amendment published in the Official Gazette, the amount of water that hydroelectric and other water facilities must release into nature has been increased.
With a new regulation by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the obligations of energy, irrigation, and domestic water facilities on rivers and wetlands to release water into nature have been increased. The regulatory amendment entered into force after being published in the Official Gazette.
New Regulation Published in the Official Gazette
The obligations of energy, irrigation, and domestic water facilities located on rivers and wetlands to release water into nature have been officially increased. The changes within this scope were implemented through the Regulation on Amending the Regulation on the Protection of Wetlands, published in the Official Gazette dated September 5, 2026, by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
Definition and Rules of Environmental Flow Rate
The phrase "environmental flow rate" was added to the definitions section of the regulation. This concept refers to the amount of flow that must be continuously released from a water structure to ensure the continuity of the natural habitats of river ecosystems and living species.
With an addition made to the water intake article, facilities on wetlands and rivers are now mandated to release this amount into the riverbed. It was announced that calculations will be made within the framework of procedures and principles to be determined by the General Directorate.
Additional Water and Out-of-Season Obligations
According to the newly published regulation, additional water will need to be released in amounts specified in the ecosystem assessment report even during times outside the irrigation season. It was stated that this amount of water to be released cannot be less than the amount specified in the Water Use Right Agreements of electricity generation facilities.
Permit Document Requirement for New Facilities
For existing facilities, with a provisional article titled environmental flow, private sector investments that started operations after January 30, 2022, are required to obtain a permit document from the nature conservation and national parks directorate within two years.
It was reported that legal sanctions within the scope of the Environment Law will be applied to businesses that fail to obtain this document, which will be valid for a period of five years.