The Mesochora Dam is

concrete-face rock-fill dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, ...

on the

Acheloos River The Achelous ( el, Αχελώος, grc, Ἀχελῷος ''Akhelôios''), also Acheloos, is a river in western Greece. It is long. It formed the boundary between Acarnania and Aetolia of antiquity. It empties into the Ionian Sea. In ancient ...

near

Mesochora Mesochora (Greek: Μεσοχώρα, before 1928: Βιτσίστα - ''Vitsista'') is a mountain village in the municipal unit of Pindos in the southwestern part of the Trikala regional unit, Greece. It is located in the Athamanika mountains (so ...

Trikala Trikala ( el, Τρίκαλα; rup, Trikolj) is a city in northwestern Thessaly, Greece, and the capital of the Trikala regional unit. The city straddles the Lithaios river, which is a tributary of Pineios. According to the Greek National Stati ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

. The tall dam is part of the Acheloos River Diversion which is intended to divert a portion of the Acheloos west to irrigate in the

Thessaly Thessaly ( el, Θεσσαλία, translit=Thessalía, ; ancient Thessalian: , ) is a traditional geographic and modern administrative region of Greece, comprising most of the ancient region of the same name. Before the Greek Dark Ages, Thes ...

plains. The project includes the Mesochora, Sykia,

Mouzaki Mouzaki ( el, Μουζάκι) is a town and a municipality in the northwestern part of the Karditsa regional unit, Greece. Mouzaki is located on the southwestern edge of the Thessalian plain, where the river Pamisos descends from the Agrafa moun ...

and Pyli Dams along with a long channel. The idea for an Acheloos to Thessaly diversion project was first envisioned in the 1930s but a lack of funding precluded construction. Interest in the project was revived in 1984 and what was supposed to be a small dam at Mesochora apart from the diversion project was increased in size to support to river diversion. Over the next several years there was a series of legal battles that led to construction stalling, most recently in 2005. Opponents of the scheme cite significant changes to the environment, flooding of villages and that the scheme will divert of water annually from the Acheloos. Supporters call on the benefit to the lucrative cotton crops it will help irrigate and the dam's planned 162 MW

hydroelectric Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

power plant. The Mesochora Dam was completed in January 2001 but the reservoir has yet to be filled and the power plant has subsequently not been commissioned due to legal battles.

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{{Achelous River dams Dams in Greece Hydroelectric power stations in Greece Concrete-face rock-fill dams Dams completed in 2001 Dams on the Achelous River Dam controversies Trikala (regional unit)

See also

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