Akhelóos

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Acheloos
Origin	Pindus mountains
Mouth	Ionian Sea 38°19′53″N 21°6′5″E / 38.33139°N 21.10139°E / 38.33139; 21.10139Coordinates: 38°19′53″N 21°6′5″E / 38.33139°N 21.10139°E / 38.33139; 21.10139
Basin countries	Greece
Length	217 km

The Acheloos River marked on a satellite image. Labels in German.

The Achelous (Greek: Αχελώος), also Acheloos, is a river in western Greece. It formed the boundary between Acarnania and Aetolia of antiquity. It empties into the Ionian Sea. In ancient times its spirit was venerated as the river god Achelous.

Herodotus, taking notice of the shoreline-transforming power of the Acheloos River, even compared it to the Nile in this respect:

'There are other rivers as well which, though not as large as the Nile, have had substantial results. In particular (although I could name others), there is the Achelous, which flows through Acarnania into the sea and has already turned half the Echinades islands into mainland.' (2.10, trans. Waterfield)

The previous name was Thoas. It is rarely known as Thestios and Axenos.^{[citation needed]}

Course

The river Achelous begins at about 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) elevation on the eastern slope of Lakmos mountain in the Pindus range, near the village Milea in the Trikala Prefecture. One of its first tributaries is the Aspropotamos, meaning the white river.

The river flows generally southwards, and forms part of the boundary between the prefectures of Arta and Trikala, which is also the boundary between Epirus and Thessaly. Further downstream, it forms the boundary of Arta and Karditsa Prefecture, and further of Aetolia-Acarnania and Eurytania. The river runs into the Kremasta reservoir, which is also fed by the rivers Agrafiotis and Megdovas.

On exiting the Kremasta reservoir, the river flows southwest into Aetolia-Acarnania, feeding the Kastraki reservoir, west of the Panaitoliko range. 10 to 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) downstream from this lake, it flows into the Stratos reservoir. Further downstream, it runs west of Agrinio and into swamplands and forests. It is crossed by a 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) long bridge of GR-5/E55 (Ioannina - Antirio). It finally empties into the Ionian Sea, west of Messolongi. The river has some canyons.

Acheloos River in mythology

Main article Achelous.

History

In the 1960s, the dam project in the Aitoloacarnania-Evrytania boundary was under construction. The area is not forested. The dam was under construction and the type is a concrete dam. It took years to complete and the flooding of the portion of the western part of the prefecture of Eurytania began. The dam includes a power station with transformer lines in the east. The dam powers electricity for the western part of Greece and the central part. It caused some soil erosion in some flooded valleys. Another dam which is named the Katsiki Dam is downstream. The arch bridges includes the Karafilio and the Ardanovo.

Places

In order from upstream to downstream:

• Milea
• Agia Paraskevi
• GR-30
• east of Gardiki
• Polyneri
• Agrinio
• Fragouleika
• Aitoliko
• west of Messolonghi

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Acheloos River

External links

• http://www.water-technology.net/projects/acheloos
• Ancient Greece Iconography at Beazley Archive (Oxford University)
• http://www.bartleby.com/65/ak/Akheloos.html - Columbia Encyclopedia
• http://www.geocities.com/sjogurka/akheloos.html (Archived 2009-10-24)
• http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761580324/Akheloos.html (Archived 2009-10-31) - MSN Encarta
• http://reference.allrefer.com/encyclopedia/A/Akheloos.html
• Ecoguides on Achelous
• TV2 Travel Channel on Achelous
• Aspropotamos River
• http://www.vourgarelinet.gr/axioth/aheloos/aheloos.htm (in Greek)
• http://www.evrytan.gr/up0/Ta_Potamia_mas1.htm (in Greek)
• http://www.tee.gr/online/epikaira/2000/2123/pg026.shtml (in Greek)
• http://www.aspropotamos.com/aspros-history.htm (in Greek)
• http://www.trikalasport.gr/exormisis/prin2003/axeloos.html (in Greek) - Trikalasport.gr
• http://www.kliafas.com/aspros0.htm (in Greek)