Damsa dam
| Damsa dam | |||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 38 ° 33 '16 " N , 34 ° 55' 20" E | ||||||||||
| Data on the structure | |||||||||||
| Lock type: | Earthfill dam | ||||||||||
| Construction time: | 1965-1971 | ||||||||||
| Height above the river bed : | 34.5 m | ||||||||||
| Building volume: | 497 000 m³ | ||||||||||
| Data on the reservoir | |||||||||||
| Altitude (at congestion destination ) | 1223 m | ||||||||||
| Water surface | 83.7 ha | ||||||||||
| Reservoir length | approx. 3 km | ||||||||||
| Reservoir width | approx. 1 km | ||||||||||
| Storage space | 7.017 million m³ | ||||||||||
The Damsa Dam ( Turkish Damsa Barajı ) is located south of the Turkish town of Mustafapaşa in Cappadocia , Nevşehir Province , in the Ürgüp district .
The earthfill dam consists largely of a body of clay and has a volume of 497,000 m³. It is accessible via a small road and closes the reservoir to the north. It was built in 1965–1971 on behalf of the state water authority DSİ .
The lake is framed by the up to 1900 m high Hondul Mountains, where the Damsa Çayı rises. The lake itself is 1223 m above sea level and, depending on the fill level, is two to three kilometers long and about 1.5–2 km wide. The deepest point is at the northern end with about 22 m.
The reservoir is primarily used to supply drinking water to the southern district of Ürgüp with the communities of Ayvalı, Mustafapaşa and Ürgüp as well as to irrigate the northern Damsa valley. More than 100 m³ are provided per day. A total of 1,390 hectares are irrigated from the dam, according to other sources it is only 790 hectares. The lake is also of great importance to the Mustafapaşa fishing cooperative, which operates aquaculture in the lake and has leased fishing rights.
There is an excursion restaurant on the west bank, which is mainly used by the local population; there is the possibility of picnics, overnight stays and fishing. Swimming is not allowed, but is not recommended with an average water temperature of 14 ° C.
The quality of the water was the subject of a study by Nevşehir University in 2010. An average pH of 7.7 and a dissolved oxygen content of 5.5 to 8 mg / l were measured. The nitrate load is below 1 mg / l. The water quality was classified in the best category ("1st class").