Vasilikos (river)

Vasilikos
Βασιλικός (in Greek) • Vasilikos
Vasilikos River at Kalavasos Dam
Vasilikos (river) is located in Cyprus
Vasilikos (river)
Location
CountryCyprus
DistrictLarnaca District, Limassol District
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationAyii Vavatsinias, Troodos Mountains
 • coordinates34°54′2″N 33°11′4″E / 34.90056°N 33.18444°E / 34.90056; 33.18444
 • elevation1,342 m (4,403 ft)
Mouth 
 • location
Vasiliko
 • coordinates
34°43′10″N 33°19′11″E / 34.71944°N 33.31972°E / 34.71944; 33.31972
 • elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Length32 km (20 mi)
Basin size151 km2 (58 mi2)
Basin features
Tributaries 
 • leftExovounia
 • rightAsgata
WaterbodiesAgioi Vavatsinias dam reservoir, Kalavasos dam reservoir (Kalavasos lake)

The Vasilikos (Greek: Βασιλικός, Turkish: Vasiliko) is a river in Larnaca District, Cyprus, with small section in Limassol District. The river starts just south of Machairas Forest in the Troodos Mountains in the village area of Ayii Vavatsinias, and flows south-east to the sea at the port of Vasiliko (or Vassiliko).[1]

The Vasilikos is an intermittent river, as are its tributaries. It typically has peak flow in February and March, while from July to October the river is dry.[2] The river has a length of 32 km (20 mi)[1] and the area of the river basin (catchment area) is 151 km2 (58 mi2).[3]

There are two dams on the river, Ayii Vavatsinias Dam, near the village of that name, and Kalavasos Dam, 5.5 km (3.4 mi) north-west of Kalavasos village. The Ayii Vavatsinias dam was built in 1981 and its reservoir has a capacity of 53 thousand m3 (1,900 thousand ft3). Kalavasos dam was built in 1983-1985 and its reservoir has a capacity of 17 million m3 (600 million ft3).[4][5][6]

The Vasilikos, starting in the north of the village area of Ayii Vavatsinias, flows south to the Ayii Vavatsinias dam for a distance of 4 km (2.5 mi) and then continues south until the village of Akapnou, where there is a sharp perpendicular bend to an easterly course.[7][8][9] [10]

The section of the river running from Eptagonia to Akapnou to Akapnou forest was affected by the Kalo Chorio - Arakapas - Akapnou fault. Due to this fault, the river Vasilikos flows along the fault valley at almost right angles with the previous course. However its (minor) tributaries in this area continue to flow in the same orientation as the original, with counter-current streams on the opposite slopes of the fault valley.[1]

At the end of Akapnou forest, the river returns to a south-easterly direction, where it is joined by the Exovounia, and reaches the Kalavasos dam. On Kitchener's survey map, this part of the Vasilikos is given the name Megas Potamos (large river).[11] The reservoir extends about 2 km (1.2 mi) upstream.[5] After the dam the river flows through Kalavasos and on to the port of Vassiliko, for a distance of 13.5 km (8.4 mi).[7]

Its major tributary is the Asgata or Argaki tis Asgatas (stream of Asgata), which joins it at the northern edge of Kalavasos village. The length of the Asgata is 13.1 km (8.1 mi) [7] and it broadly follows the same orientation as the Akapnou fault.[10]

A smaller tributary, the Exovounia, has a length of 6.3 km (3.9 mi).[9] Where it joins the Vasilikos just north of Kalavasos dam, its direction is south-easterly, like the Vasilikos downstream from the confluence. However, further upstream the Exovounia has an easterly section running parallel with the Akapnou fault.[10]

Dry bed of the river at Kalavasos

The water measuring station at Kalavasos recorded a Mean Annual flow of the river Vasilikos of 3.9 million m3 (140 million ft3), with the contributing catchment area at this point being 130 km2 (50 mi2).[10]

Map of the Vasilikos River

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Βασιλικός ποταμός ή Βασιλοπόταμος" (Vasilikos river or Vasilopotamos); article in "Polignosi" the Cypriot encyclopedia run by Politis newspaper and the Bank of Cyprus - www.polignosi.com - retrieved Aug 2025 (in Greek)
  2. ^ "Hydrological Network Analysis and Optimisation" by Frédéric Rossel, publ. by Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Water Development Dept., Nicosia, 2001; website: www.moa.gov.cy/moa/wdd/wdd.nsf/All/80233A04FA0E2815C22583D200228EAC/$file/1_6.pdf?OpenElement - retrieved Sep 2025; pp. 42-43
  3. ^ "Environmental Impact Assessment Study for KODAP Oil Strategic Reserves depot at Vasilikos, Larnaca (Non-Technical Executive Summary)", issued by KODAP (Cyprus Organisation for Storage and Management of Oil Stocks), 2016. Available at European Investment Bank website www.eib.org/attachments/registers/80354253.pdf - retrieved Sep 2025. Page viii
  4. ^ "3ο Σχέδιο Διαχείρισης Λεκάνης Απορροής Ποταμού της Κύπρου" (3rd River Basin Management Plan of Cyprus) publ. Ministry of Agriculture, Water Development Dept., Nicosia, 2023 website: www.moa.gov.cy/moa/WDD/wfd.nsf/page35_gr/page35_gr?opendocument - retrieved Sep 2025; Table 2-1 "Dams and outside-river reservoirs of Cyprus" , pp. 24-28 (in Greek)
  5. ^ a b "Vasilikos-Pendaskinos Project", publ. by Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Water Development Department, Nicosia , 1985; website: www.moa.gov.cy/moa/wdd/wdd.nsf/All/C46872263D1485D4C2258385002C2392/$file/Vasilikos-Pentaschoinos Project.pdf?OpenElement - retrieved Sep 2025; pp.5-6
  6. ^ "Dams of Cyprus", publ. by Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Water Development Department, Nicosia, 2009 - website: www.moa.gov.cy/moa/wdd/wdd.nsf/All/2CAF3331AD8A3426C2258385003094C5/$file/Dams of Cyprus 2009.pdf?OpenElement - retrieved Aug 2025; page 69 (Ay. Vavatsinias Dam) and page 89 (Kalavasos Dam)
  7. ^ a b c "3ο Σχέδιο Διαχείρισης Λεκάνης Απορροής Ποταμού της Κύπρου" (3rd River Basin Management Plan of Cyprus) publ. Ministry of Agriculture, Water Development Dept., Nicosia, 2023 website: www.moa.gov.cy/moa/WDD/wfd.nsf/page35_gr/page35_gr - retrieved Sep 2025; page 47 (p.61 of PDF), in Greek. River is in three sections named "Water Bodies": CY8-9-ABC1, CY8-9-C2G, CY8-9-EF
  8. ^ Viewer to see location of Water Bodies in the 3rd River Basin Management Plan of Cyprus, publ. Ministry of Agriculture, Water Development Dept., Nicosia, 2023 website: geoportal-wdd.hub.arcgis.com/items/f37fda7e798e4a3d97138703ec186a31 - retrieved Sep 2025
  9. ^ a b Distances measured using Tools on the Water Development Dept. portal for viewing rivers (via create a map). The portal maps the course of the river and the tool can be used to measure parts of this course. Source to Ay. Vavatsinias dam is 3.95 km. Length of the tributary Exovounia is 6.3km. Website of portal: geoportal-wdd.hub.arcgis.com/items/f37fda7e798e4a3d97138703ec186a31 - retrieved Sep 2025
  10. ^ a b c d Cyprus 1:50,000 Map Series, publ. United States. Army Map Service, Washington, D.C., 1964; Sheet 4010 - I and Sheet 4010 - IV ; website: lccn.loc.gov/2017588191, and Wikicommons ref: File:Cyprus 1-50,000 LOC 2017588191-18.jpg and File:Cyprus 1-50,000 LOC 2017588191-22.jpg - retrieved Sep 2025
  11. ^ Sheet 14 Limassol, Kitchener's survey of Cyprus, 1882. Scale 1 inch to 1 mile. National Library of Scotland website: maps.nls.uk/view/103246412 - retrieved Sep 2025