Water scarcity in Greece: Half of Lake Mornos that supplies Greek capital Athens with water has “disappeared” in less than four years. The sunken village of Kallio has reemerged again from the water surface.
The artificial Lake Mornos is approximately half the size it was in January 2022, according to data presented by the METEO service of the National Observatory of Athens.
The meteo service analyzed satellite photos, with the following main conclusions:
In 2022, the area was higher than the average of the last decade, ranging between 16.6 km² and 19.1 km².
In 2023, a significant decrease was noted, with the lake’s area decreasing to 14.3 km² in December.
In 2024, the decrease continued even more sharply, with the lake’s area decreasing to 10.4 km² in November.
Until September 2025, the decrease continued, with the lake’s area decreasing to 8.7 km² in September, which is the lowest recorded for the period.
Overall, from 2022 to today, the area has decreased by approximately -54% (from ~19.1 km² to 8.7 km²).
Video: Size of Lake Mornos January 2022 – September 2025
The issue of the decrease in the area and reserves of Lake Mornos led the METEO unit of the National Observatory of Athens to activate the new citizen information service, the Mornos Artificial Lake Observatory See the website HERE.
A key element of the Observatory are the satellite images of the lake, which will be updated every two weeks and compared with previous ones, the observations of the meteorological stations operated by the METEO unit, as well as the assessment of the extent of snow cover in the area.
The artificial Lake Mornos
The Lake Mornos in Fokida, central Greece, is about 248km away from Athens. It is an artificial lake built in 1979 with the construction of a dam on the Mornos River in order to create another reservoir to cover the needs for the water supply of Greek capital Athens, when at than time 30% of the country’s population was already living there.
To create it, a simple earthen embankment was placed across the Mornos River in Central Greece at 38°31′37.1″N 22°07′14.7″E. Though of earth, the soil is very compact. Monitored by GPS, the dam has a low rate of deformation and is considered one of the more stable in Greece. The fact that the dam is located in a region of high seismicity causes some concern and results in a higher level of monitoring.
The lake has shrunk because of high temperatures and the lack of water, leading to the reemergence of Kallio, a village submerged by the creation of the lake.
The submerged village of Kallio has emerged
The decrease in water levels has brought to the surface in recent months the submerged village of Kallio, which was covered when the artificial lake was created in 1979.
In March 2024, another sunken village submerged from the waters of Evinolimni Lake, western Greece, due to water scarcity.
KTG reported with a video HERE.
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