About Vyzakia Dam

Vyzakia dam is located in the Nicosia district on the Serrachis River, in the broad flat expanse of the Morphou plain that stretches across the north-western lowlands of Cyprus. Built in 1984 with a capacity of 1.7 MCM and standing 22 metres tall, the earth-fill structure occupies a very different landscape from the mountain dams of the Troodos — here the terrain is flat and fertile, dominated by the citrus groves that made the Morphou region one of the most productive agricultural areas in Cyprus before the island's partition in 1974. The Serrachis River originates in the northern foothills of the Troodos massif and crosses the Mesaoria plain before discharging toward Morphou Bay. Its catchment sits in the transition zone between the wetter mountain slopes and the drier lowland plain, receiving annual rainfall that typically averages 350-450 mm in the upper reaches but declines sharply downstream. Vyzakia primarily serves agricultural irrigation, supporting the citrus-growing communities west of Nicosia that have maintained fruit cultivation in the area despite significant water stress in dry years. The dam's small capacity relative to the agricultural demand it serves means it must be managed carefully, with allocations closely calibrated to seasonal rainfall and recharge rates. Because Vyzakia fills and drains relatively quickly, it functions as a sensitive indicator of seasonal rainfall patterns in the Mesaoria plain catchment — rising rapidly after winter storms and declining steadily through the long dry spring and summer. The flat surrounding landscape means the reservoir spreads laterally at high levels, maximising surface area and unfortunately also maximising evaporative losses during the hot Cypriot summer.