Germasogia Dam

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John J

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Germasogia Dam
« on: October 06, 2016, 05:37:33 PM »
One of the largest dams in the Limassol area. The very dry winter with little snowfall in the mountains and the blisteringly hot summer has reduced it to not much more than a puddle. The water doesn't even reach the base of the dam wall. The third photo is looking away from the dam. I took them this evening as I returned home from my daughter's house.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

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Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #1 on: October 30, 2016, 07:19:53 AM »
Arrived back from the MGS AGM a few days ago to daytime temps still in the mid to high 20 degrees C with no sign of rain in the offing. The dam shown in the photos above is at 3.2% of its capacity. At the same time last year it was at 47.9%. The largest dam in Cyprus, the Kouris, is at 10.3% capacity, the same time last year it was at 21.2%. The current average capacity of all the dams on the island stands at 20.3%, the same time last year it was at 40.5%. The total capacity of all the dams is 290.80 million cubic metres while the actual reserves presently stand at 59.099 million cubic metres. The island's 4 desalination plants are at full stretch and producing 220,000 cubic litres per day. It doesn't take much imagination to realize that if we don't get a substantial amount of rain, and soon, the situation could become desperate.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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MikeHardman

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Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #2 on: October 31, 2016, 10:38:12 PM »
Worrying...
But there is rain forecast tonight, at least over my end of the island.
Mike
Geologist by Uni training, IT consultant, Referee for Viola for Botanical Society of the British Isles, commissioned author and photographer on Viola for RHS (Enc. of Perennials, The Garden, The Plantsman).
I garden near Polis, Cyprus, 100m alt., on marl, but have gardened mainly in S.England

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John J

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Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #3 on: November 01, 2016, 05:35:43 AM »
We got a bit of rain last night, Mike, accompanied by some very high winds that has broken branches off our jacarandas and a melia. Having morning cup of tea before venturing out to tidy up the damage.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Hilary

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Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2016, 05:11:47 PM »
The water situation in Cyprus seems desperate.
Hope it rains soon
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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John J

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Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #5 on: November 20, 2016, 02:40:24 PM »
Further to my post about the Germasogia Dam, the photo shows my 10 year old grandson cycling in what should be the bottom of the dam. In normal circumstances he should be well under water at that point.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2019, 06:44:32 PM »
The photos above are from 2 years ago. The water situation in the dam in December last year was even worse, a mere puddle at the base of the wall. However with torrential rains towards the end of December and for almost all of January so far things have changed dramatically. I took the following photos this afternoon as I drove my grandson home from school. The dam slipway overflowed just after midnight last night according to the authorities. The third photo shows the floating vegetation and accumulated detritus washed down from the surrounding hills.   
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #7 on: January 30, 2019, 03:56:02 PM »
A sight seen all too rarely here in Cyprus, the slipway of a dam overflowing.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

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Alisdair

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Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2019, 01:28:03 PM »
Wonderful sight!
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

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John J

  • Hero Member
Re: Germasogia Dam
« Reply #9 on: February 10, 2019, 09:57:21 AM »
Being at a bit of a loose end, my wife having flown to UK for a couple of days, I decided to take a look at the largest dam on the island, the Kouris, to see how it was faring as most of the lesser ones are overflowing. I found that it is nowhere near capacity yet.
When it was built in the 1980s they had to relocate an entire village from the valley floor to further up the hillside. The church was on higher ground at the edge of the village and most of the time remained relatively unscathed. However, when the dam overflowed in 2004 it was almost completely covered, only the top of the dome showing above water.
As I stood above the church to take photos my only companion was a rather lonely-looking donkey.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)