Balçova Barajı

Balçova Dam is a drinking water dam built on the Ilıca Stream in the wooded hills south of Balçova. Balçova, the smallest district of İzmir by area, opens onto the sea to the north and onto forest and mountains to the south. Finding a narrow mountain lake surrounded by pine forest so close to the city centre surprises even people who live in İzmir. Facts about the dam According to Wikipedia the dam was built between 1970 and 1980, while the local press writes that the State Hydraulic Works launched the project in 1972. The rock fill dam has a body volume of about 1 million cubic metres and rises 73 metres above the stream bed. At normal water level the reservoir holds 8.25 million cubic metres and covers an area of 0.35 square kilometres. The dam is one of the sources that supply İzmir's drinking water, and it is followed alongside large dams such as Tahtalı and Gördes in the reservoir level announcements published by İZSU. One İZSU announcement reported that after a rainy period the dam was more than 78 percent full and that the State Hydraulic Works released water to prevent overflow. A biologist from Ege University has stated that channels coming from the dam feed Çakalburnu Lagoon on the coast and that the water balance of the lagoon changed after the dam was built. This link is a reminder that the reservoir in the hills and the wetland on the shore are parts of the same water system. The dam and the cable car Another trace of the dam in the city's history is the Balçova Cable Car. According to the local press, the mayor of Balçova at the time planned a recreation area and a cable car on Dededağı, inspired by the scenic artificial lake the dam had created near the summit. The facility, described as Turkey's second cable car after Uludağ, opened in 1974. The line runs between Yeşiloğlu Hill and the summit of Dededağı, and the upper station stands 418 metres above sea level. Closed in 2008 for safety reasons, the cable car was rebuilt and returned to service on 31 July 2015. Today visitors who ride the cable car up to Dededağı can still look down on the reservoir. For those who cannot walk, this is the easiest way to see the dam, and the operator's current announcements should be checked for operating days. Walking trails The most popular way to see the dam up close, however, is on foot. The trail that starts behind the thermal hotel in Balçova climbs along an earth track among pine trees towards the reservoir. According to a report by the news agency DHA, this trail and the neighbouring Behzat Tepe trail are among the routes that people in İzmir often use at weekends to get away from the city. Behzat Tepe is about 740 metres high, and the climb, which takes about three hours there and back, ends with a bird's eye view of the reservoir and the city at the summit. The same report describes how walkers greet everyone they meet on the path as a well loved custom of this route. The report also mentions walkers setting out from early morning in autumn and at the start of winter, and these cool seasons are the best time for walking. The distances of the routes shared by users on hiking apps differ from one another, so plan your route with a map before you set out. Practical notes The paths are steep and loose in places, so bring hiking shoes that support your ankles and enough water. In the summer months avoid walking in the midday heat and move your walk to the early morning. Access to wooded areas may be restricted when the risk of forest fire is high, so check current announcements before you set out. Because the dam is a source of drinking water, do not go into the lake, do not light fires on the shore and do not leave rubbish. The dam body and its technical facilities belong to public institutions, so respect the restrictions set by the operating authorities. If you are walking the trail for the first time, it is safer to go with a hiking group or with someone who knows the way. Getting there and the surroundings To come by public transport you can take the M1 metro line to its Balçova stations or a bus to Balçova and make your way to the area of the thermal facilities. The history of Balçova rests on the thermal springs at the foot of the valley, and the Roman era Agamemnon Baths are among the oldest known traces in the district. Local sources relate a story that the soldiers of Agamemnon, who appears in the Homeric epics, were healed in these waters. After your walk, going down to the shore to see İnciraltı City Forest and Çakalburnu Lagoon lets you discover where the waters of the dam end up.