Kouris Reservoir, Reservoir and water supply system in Alassa, Cyprus

Kouris Reservoir is Cyprus's largest artificial lake by capacity, holding 115 million cubic metres, 15 km northeast of Limassol. Its earth-fill dam, with a central clay core, was built from 1984 to 1988 and rises 110 m. Water comes from the Kouris, Limnatis and Krios rivers, supplemented by a tunnel diverting the Diarizos. In the photo, water sheets over the concrete spillway beside a round tower.

Construction of the dam began in 1984 and finished in 1988 to provide water supply to the region. The project significantly affected the local communities and reshaped the landscape of the surrounding areas.

The reservoir takes its name from the Kouris river, one of three waterways feeding it. When water levels drop, the ruins of the old church of Agios Nikolaos emerge from the bed; the village of Alassa was moved uphill for the dam. Local lore holds that a cryptid lives in the lake, though the fisheries ministry found no evidence.

The reservoir lies about 15 km from Limassol; the Greek source puts it northeast of the city, the Polish one northwest. The dam is an earth-fill embankment with a central clay core, so the crest is a walking surface rather than a viewing platform. The spillway and its round outlet tower are the main structures to look for; the surrounding hills are bare and give almost no shade.

Local lore holds that the reservoir is home to a cryptid, though searches by Cyprus's Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Affairs found no evidence of it. The lake is stocked with fish including largemouth bass, carp, roach, mosquitofish, sea bass and vimba, and amateur fishing is permitted.