Manavgat without a waterfall - but with a lot of water!

Manavgat without a waterfall - but with a lot of water!

We were on the way to a friend in Manavgat / Oymapinar when we noticed, while driving through the village, the high water level of the Manavgat River, because the meadows and shore fortifications left and right of the river were completely flooded.

Of course there were tons of rain in the last few days; However, since the river is dammed twice, that could not be the reason. Further on in the direction of Oymapinar we will reach the Manavgat Selale, the so-called Waterfall of Manavgat.

Instead of the waterfall, however, there was only a huge streaming lake, which had completely flooded the entire area with all the restaurants, the picnic areas even the parking lot. Several times we had seen floods on the river at times of snowmelt, but we had not experienced the flooding so extreme. A lot of work for the operators after the water level has dropped.

Fields and meadows - flood as far as the eye can see

b_450_450_16777215_00_images_turkey_turkish_riviera_side_manavgat_hochwasser.jpgWe continue our journey and cross the bridge at the junction for Ibradi where we have to cross the tributary of the Manavgat. Again, the water is almost at the road level. The archways of the old Roman bridge in the background protrude only slightly above the water level. Should there have been so much rainwater? The fields and orange groves to the right of the road are completely flooded, the same we could see at several houses and restaurants along the way. Already scary and frightening if one thinks about the self-experienced flood and the consequences of the wetness and cleaning of the houses.

Once arrived at our acquaintance explanations are made to our questions: The pressure of the upper dam is so large that water had to be disposed from the lower reservoir as soon as possible. Since they probably had not lowered the water level of the lower reservoir over a longer period of time, now a huge amount of water had to be derived in a short time down the river to then lower the reservoir above to take away the pressure. Seems logical and well thought out. Of course, you want to spend as little water as possible unused into the river to drainage into the sea, but the price, which must be paid for it by the local residents and farmers, is damn high.

Please read as well:

Oymapinar Dam - A canoe trip to the source of the river
Theatre of Side - from Hellenistic to Roman Period

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