The Kouris Dam, which impounds the River Kouris in the Limassol Distric on Cyprus, is now rumoured to house its very own lake monster. Tales about the dam being home to a “strange creature” began to surface three years ago, but these rumours centred mainly on the alleged dumping of a crocodile in the 3.6 km3 large dam. Today, local residents are instead talking about a serpent-like creature; a sort of Cypriot Nessie.
After receiving numerous reports about the creature, the Cypriot Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Affairs has launched a search for the extraordinary dam dweller but has failed to come up with any proof of its existence.
Even without any hard evidence, the Kouris Serpent may prove just as alluring for holiday-makers as its Scottish equivalent. According to local community leader Savvas Sava, housing may have to be constructed around the dam to cater for the needs of tourists wishing to catch a glimpse of the elongated beast. Tourism already occupies a dominant position in the economy of Cyprus, with 1 in every 3.4 jobs being found in the tourism sector.
The Kouris dam is the largest dam in a network of over 100 dams on Cyrpus. Situated at an altitude of 250 meters, the dam regulates the water flow of the rivers Kouris, Kryos and Limnatis. Water is also diverted into the dam through a connecting tunnel from the river Diarizos. The water storage volume is 115 million cubic metres and the overall catch area exceeds 300km2. It is a fairly young dam, with construction being completed in September 1988.