Aposelemis Dam () is an earthen embankment dam on the Aposelemis River near the villages of Potamies and Avdou, southeast of Heraklion, Greece. The dam is the largest water management project in Crete. It creates Aposelemis lake, a reservoir that serves as the primary fresh water supply for the cities of Heraklion and Agios Nikolaos plus 6 smaller municipalities and 19 communities along the touristically developed north coast of Crete with a combined population of 300,000 inhabitants.
History
The first thoughts to build a dam for providing water from Aposelemis date back to the 1970s. During the 1980s and 90s several preparatory studies were completed and the definitive construction study was approved in 2000. Despite strong opposition by local communities in the early 2000s,
the overwhelming need for water during the summer prevailed. The construction contract was put out to tender on 14/12/2004 and was awarded on 1/4/2005. Dam construction was completed in 2012 and accompanying works in early 2019. Total costs, including compensations for expropriation, exceeded 220 million euros.
The hamlet of Sfendyli () was located inside the dam reservoir and below the filling level, therefore it had to be abandoned.
Construction details
The Aposelemis dam is of rock-fill type with an impervious clay core. It is tall, long
and is built on a
Phyllite bedrock.
[
]
The
spillway is 231 m long with a maximum capacity of 1000 m3/sec. The reservoir has a normal volume of approx. with a usable capacity of .
In addition to the Aposelemis river, the reservoir receives supplemental water diverted from
Lasithi Plateau via a steel piping in a long bored tunnel with an inclination of 15%. Hence, the dam additionally serves
flood control purposes. The reservoir has an area of and a combined
Drainage basin of .
The dam overflowed for the first time in February 2019.
[ Υπερχείλισε για πρώτη φορά το φράγμα του Αποσελέμη www.lifo.gr, 26/2/2019.]
A water treatment plant with a daily capacity of provides drinking water to consumers via a system of water mains that is over long.
See also
External links
