Kouris Dam, gr, Φράγμα Κούρη, is the largest

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, a ...

of a network of 107 dams in

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...

. It is in the

Limassol District Limassol District () or Lemesos ( el, Λεμεσός) is one of the six districts of Cyprus. , it had a population of 239,842, 77% of which was urban. Its main city is Limassol. Part of the British Overseas Territory of Akrotiri and Dhekelia for ...

and is fed by the

Kouris River Kouris River (Greek Κούρης; Turkish Kuris) is a waterway in Cyprus. Measuring in length, it originates on the south part of the Troodos Mountains, traverses Limassol District, and reaches the sea at Kourion. Not much of the river exists in ...

along with other smaller watercourses including the Diarizos River which has its water diverted to Kouris Dam via an underground pipeline.

History

The dam lies at an altitude of and collects the water delivered by the rivers Kouris, Limnatis and Kryos. Furthermore, water from Diarizos River is diverted to Kouris Dam via a long connecting tunnel. It has an overall catchment area of ². The dam is located northwest of the city of

Limassol Limassol (; el, Λεμεσός, Lemesós ; tr, Limasol or ) is a city on the southern coast of Cyprus and capital of the district with the same name. Limassol is the second largest urban area in Cyprus after Nicosia, with an urban population ...

and west of the village of

Ypsonas Ypsonas (also spelled ''Ipsonas'', el, Ύψωνας, Ypsōnas, Turkish: İpsona) is a municipality in the Limassol prefecture of Cyprus. It is one of the largest villages in the Limassol District of Cyprus and is located about 7 kilometers west o ...

. For its construction the whole village of

Alassa Alassa ( gr, Άλασσα) is a village in the Limassol District of Cyprus, north of the Kouris Dam, on the main road from Limassol to Kakopetria. Excavations at Alassa by Cypriot archaeologists in the early 1980s unearthed the ruins of a Bronze ...

had to be relocated to a nearby site overlooking the reservoir (between the Kouris and Limnatis valleys) at a cost of around CYP£5,000,000. Its construction was opposed by environmental groups concerned about the effects of water diversion on the

Limassol Salt Lake Limassol Salt Lake (also known as Akrotiri Salt Lake) is the largest inland body of water on the island of Cyprus, in Akrotiri and Dhekelia, United Kingdom, an overseas territory. It lies due south-west of the sprawling city of Limassol and measur ...

, a wetland located downstream to the rivers and used by migratory birds. The dam is part of the Southern Conveyor Project, which carries water from the SW side of Cyprus to the SE part of the island, over a distance of 120 km. The dam has a central clay core zoned earthfill embankment with a height of 110m and a crest length of approximately 550 metres providing a water storage volume of 115 million cubic metres. The construction of the dam was first proposed by the Cyprus Water Development board in 1968. Following several feasibility studies the French engineering company Sogreah completed the detailed design in 1981. The contract for its construction was awarded in January 1984 to a consortium comprising J&P construction and

Impregilo Webuild SpA (formerly Salini Impregilo SpA) () is an Italian industrial group specialised in the construction and civil engineering business headquartered in Milan. The company was formally founded in 2014 as the result of the merger by incorporat ...

of Italy. The construction cost amounted to CYP £29,000,000. Part of the funding came from the

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the EU Member States. It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt solutions ...

. Construction was completed in September 1988. It was officially inaugurated by the then president,

George Vassiliou Giorgos Vasos Vassiliou ( el, Γιώργος Βασιλείου; born 20 May 1931) is a Cypriot politician who served as the third president of Cyprus from 1988 to 1993. He was also the founder and leader of the Cypriot United Democrats party (ED ...

, on 22 April 1989. Since its construction it has overflowed three times: on March 4, 2004, on April 6, 2012, and on January 7, 2020.https://cyprus-mail.com/2020/01/08/all-time-record-as-dam-after-dam-overflows-in-january-updated/

In popular culture

In 2008, rumours held that a crocodile or other large reptile was swimming in the dam, leading to humorous references to a "Cyprus Loch Ness Monster." Local community leaders authorized a search but did not find such a creature.

Gallery

Kouris Dam, Cyprus.jpg, Road photo of Kouris dam Ruined Church of Ayios Nikolas in Kouris Dam.jpg, Ruined Church of Ayios Nikolas in Kouris Dam Kouris Dam - overflow day 8 April 2012 -c.jpg, Kouris Dam - overflow day 8 April 2012

References

{{Reflist, 30em Dams in Cyprus Dams completed in 1988 Buildings and structures in Limassol District 1988 establishments in Cyprus

History

In popular culture

Gallery

See also

References