About Ivaylovgrad Dam

Ivaylovgrad Reservoir is the third and most downstream dam in the Arda River cascade in southern Bulgaria, near the town of Ivaylovgrad in Haskovo Province, close to the Greek border. Completed in 1959 with a capacity of 156.7 MCM, Ivaylovgrad regulates the final stretch of the Bulgarian Arda before the river crosses into Greece and eventually joins the Evros (Maritsa) at the Aegean. The reservoir's primary purpose is hydropower generation through the Ivaylovgrad power station, which benefits from the accumulated head drop of the full Arda cascade. It also provides irrigation water for the Haskovo and Kardzhali regions and delivers minimum ecological flows to Greece under a bilateral water agreement. The Eastern Rhodope landscape around Ivaylovgrad is among the warmest and driest in Bulgaria, with a transitional Mediterranean climate. The rocky hills above the reservoir are renowned for their exceptional biodiversity: the Eastern Rhodopes host the largest population of breeding vultures in Bulgaria and one of the most important in Europe, including griffon, black, and Egyptian vultures. The reservoir shoreline and surrounding scrubland are designated as protected areas under both Bulgarian law and the EU Natura 2000 network.