Katzensee
The Katzensee ( or Swiss German Chatzesee ) is a lake in Switzerland at the municipal boundary between the City of Zurich and rain village in the canton of Zurich.
The lake is 1.1 km long and 0.54 km wide. It divides into two parts, the Upper and the Lower Katzensee. In the vicinity, immediately adjacent to the Zurich -Nord motorway ring, is the smaller Büsisee, the Swiss German word Büsi means also (small ) Cat. The Büsisee was created as an artificial reservoir for the drainage of the motorway section in the construction of the Northern Bypass. Their emergence owe the lakes of glacial moraine that dammed it up today. Both lakes are often collectively referred to as cat lakes.
The Katzensee is drained by two sides. To the east of the Katzenbach the first 200 meters is underground. It flows in the area of Zurich city in the Leutschenbach and this in the Glatt. To the west of the ford stream flows. It ends at Würenlos in the Limmat. The Katzensee has no surface inflow.
Surrounded by Ried cats lakes are surrounded by a wetland area of about 40 ha The two lakes are slow on the silt, and the area is considered as textbook example of lakes silt and peat development, since there both a fen and moorland have emerged in a relatively small space. The cats lakes are always a target of scientific excursions. In the natural landscape 600 species of flowering plants are detected, including many rare representatives who can be found at the local breeding birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects.
The area of the lakes cats was in 1912 asked by the Canton of Zurich under protection and was therefore largely protected from barriers and Amelio rations. In 1977 the territory was admitted to the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments of National Importance.
Every January 2006 and 2009 froze the Katzensee and was officially released to enter. It was according to glaciologists Schwarzeis before, the compact was frozen and 11.6 to 16 inches thick. Prior to the lake in 1985 and 1991 could be committed. After that, it took 11 years until it was called back in January 2002: " ice -free ". In February 2012, the lake froze over again.
Origin of the name
The origin of the word Katzensee has nothing to do with a cat. The lake was named in the 6th or 7th century AD after a Alemanni named Hatto. Over time, the "H" moved to a "K", and the waters became the Katto, then to Katten and finally to Katzensee.