Small Prespa Lake
The Small Prespa (Greek Límni Mikrí Prespa Λίμνη Μικρή Πρέσπα; Albanian Prespa Liqeni i së Vogel; macedonian Malo Prespansko ežero Мало Преспанско Езеро ) is a lake on the border between Greece and Albania. The majority is on Greek territory; only the last kilometer of the long western arm extend into Albania. From the ( Great) Lake Prespa in the border triangle of Greece, Albania and Macedonia, the Small Prespa Lake is separated by a narrow land bridge.
The Small Prespa Lake is located at an altitude of 853 m. The north adjoining Great Prespa Lake is four meters lower ( 849 m). The Small Prespa Lake has an area of 45.39 square kilometers. It is up to 10.6 kilometers long and 6.6 kilometers wide. The mean depth was determined to be 6.7 meters and the maximum depth of 7.7 meters. Thus, the Small Prespa like most other Greek lakes is relatively flat. In contrast, the Great Prespa Lake with a maximum depth of 53 meters is significantly lower. The water volume of the Small Prespa is 320,000,000 cubic meters. The water catchment area ( catchment area ) amounts to 260 square kilometers. The water temperatures are averaged 21 ° C and maximum 28 ° C.
High mountains surround the lake, where there are two small islands. In the West, a passage is through the mountains, through the drained the lake at high water after heavy rainfall and spring during the snow melt to flow Devoll and so in the Adriatic Sea. From the 1950s until about the year 2000, the Devoll was also conducted at high tide in the Small Prespa Lake. The so- cached water in the dry seasons over a canal, which was built during the regime of the Party of Labour of Albania, are derived in order to irrigate the plain north of Korca. The introduction of the Devolls led because the entrained sediment to a strong silting of the western part of the lake. The Albanian part is therefore now little more from open water areas, but only from reedbeds.
A small natural channel to the Great Prespa drains to the north. From there the water flows underground in Lake Ohrid and thus into the river system of drins. The water of the Little Prespa is renewed every 3.4 years.
The Prespa lakes are particularly sensitive wetlands in terms of the Ramsar Convention. The Great Prespa Lake is the center of the Prespa National Park, which was established jointly by the three riparian countries and, with an area of approximately 2,000 square kilometers of the largest nature reserves in Europe. The unspoilt countryside is home to many endangered birds such as pelicans and Pygmy Cormorants. Especially the small Albanian part, threatens to gradually silt up, is characterized by vast reed beds.
Finds such as fossilized shark teeth, leaves, shells and birds suggest that the Lake Prespa was part of a saltwater sea with abundant wildlife in prehistoric times. In the village Vrondero you can visit these findings in a small museum.