Aoos River: Concerns raised over Konitsa irrigation dam works

The Initiative for the Protection and Promotion of the Aoos Gorge is calling for caution regarding planned works at the Konitsa irrigation dam. The concern follows a request by the Konitsa Irrigation Water Users Association (TOEB) to use excavation machinery via a 100-meter section of the Aoos riverbed to access the dam.

While the Initiative acknowledges the necessity of modernizing the irrigation network and addressing the dam's long-term abandonment, it expresses concerns regarding the method of access. Specifically, there are fears that moving machinery through the riverbed could lead to new siltation or facilitate illegal vehicle access to pedestrian paths near the Stomium Monastery via existing unauthorized concrete ramps.

The Initiative emphasizes that any intervention should wait for the completion of ongoing scientific studies. Currently, the Mediterranean Institute for Nature and Man (MedINA), in collaboration with the Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters of ELKETHE, is conducting a study to restore long-term connectivity for fish fauna within the irrigation project. The group argues that proceeding without full hydraulic, static, and geotechnical documentation could hinder fish movement and create fragmented ecological solutions.