Almus Dam Lake

Almus Dam Lake is an artificial lake located on the Yeşilırmak River in the Almus district of Tokat Province, within Türkiye’s Central Black Sea Region. It is utilized for agricultural irrigation, electricity generation, cage trout farming, and tourism. The lake formed at the point where the Yeşilırmak makes a slight bend before entering the Omala Plain gorge.

The lake is situated approximately 36 kilometers from the center of Tokat Province. Its geographic coordinates lie between 40 degrees 22 minutes north latitude and 36 degrees 55 minutes east longitude. With an elevation of 832 meters above sea level, the lake has a total surface area of 3,130 hectares.

The lake’s climate exhibits transitional characteristics between the regions influenced by the Black Sea and the continental climate of Central Anatolia. Precipitation is generally distributed throughout the year, with an annual average rainfall of 5,442 millimeters. The highest rainfall occurs in January, February, March, April, and May, while the lowest rainfall is recorded in July and August.

The area where the lake bed was formed lies on the most fertile lands of the district. Toward the lower parts of the valley, the rock structure consists of homogeneous, massive, fine-grained andesitic lavas. Above these massive andesites, layered formations dominate, containing lava flows, breccia, conglomerate, and tuff.

The lake was created by the construction of the Almus Dam on the Yeşilırmak River. The dam body is designed as a zoned earthfill structure, and water retention began on October 1966.

^{Almus Dam Lake} (Cultural Portal)

The volume of water and fill level in the dam lake vary significantly throughout the year depending on seasonal rainfall, snowmelt, and usage demands. During spring, when snow in the mountains melts and rivers swell, approximately 12 million cubic meters of water enter the lake daily. In contrast, the daily water discharge from the lake is around 2.5 million cubic meters.^【1】

The fill level, which stood at 38 percent at the beginning of January, rises to 82 percent by the end of April due to winter and spring rainfall.^【2】 During dry periods with low rainfall, temporary islands emerge on the lake surface; these islands are submerged again when rainfall increases.

During summer months, water withdrawal from the lake for agricultural irrigation, electricity generation, and evaporation causes the “Left Bank Group Road” within the lake bed to become exposed. This stabilized route, implemented in 2022 through a joint initiative of the Almus District Governorship, municipality, town municipalities, and village headmanships, has the following features:

• It is approximately 500 meters long.
• It provides access to 18 settlements and surrounding villages.
• It reduces the usual 35-minute travel time in the region to just 12 minutes, saving fuel and time for local residents.
• The road, typically exposed between June and July when water levels drop, remains open for pedestrian and vehicle traffic for approximately five to six months until the winter season (February–March).
• During spring, when the dam lake fills and water levels rise, the road becomes submerged under approximately two meters of water and is closed to traffic to prevent hazards.

^{Almus Dam Lake} (Cultural Portal)

The lake serves as a strategic center for cage trout farming. During periods of abundant snowmelt and rainfall, increased water levels elevate oxygen concentrations, promoting rapid trout growth. In addition to commercial production areas, the bays formed by the lake are widely used for recreational angling.

The lake’s surroundings are entirely covered by forest, and its shoreline features numerous natural coves. The lake surface provides an ideal course for water sports. Swimming in the lake during summer is one of the region’s most popular activities.

Along the lake shore, small restaurants operated by local trout producers offer a “catch and cook yourself” dining experience. The main recreational areas, visited almost daily by residents of Almus as well as tourists from neighboring provinces (Sivas, Amasya, Çorum) for picnics, include:

• Ormanevleri
• Tufantepe
• Köse Pınarı
• Harami Yaylası