Hallstätter See

Hallstatt culture

Lake Hallstatt is a 8.5 km ² large lake in Upper Austria's Salzkammergut, which is drained by the River Traun.

Geography

Lake Hallstatt is located at 508 m above sea level. A. at the northern foot of the Dachstein massif, in the east it is the Sarstein, bounded on the west by the plassen. The lake is 5.9 km long and 2.3 km wide. The western and the eastern shore fall very steeply, only the shore in the north and southeast, where the Traun discharges or flows are flat. The fjord-like deep well of the lake was formed in the Ice Age by the Traun glacier.

The opening out to the west Gosaubach has piled up an alluvial fan, the lake in a northern basin with 2 km ² and a maximum depth of 44.5 m and a larger southern basin with an area of ​​6.5 km ² and a maximum depth of 125 m shares.

Other major tributaries next to the Traun, which is responsible for 53% of the inflow, and the Gosaubach are the forest stream at Lahn south of Hallstatt and the Zlambach in the north near the drain. The Traun exits the lake at the north end, where the water level is regulated by the Seeklause in Steeg. The mean discharge ( range 1951-2010 ) is 36.0 m³ / s The (theoretical) water renewal time is six months. Due to the strong flow of the Traun, the water temperature is relatively low and rarely achieved even in the summer more than 16 ° C. The Traun also ensure that the lake freezes over in winter rarely entirely makes, usually has only the northern area a closed ice cover on.

The lake is located in the municipalities of Bad Goisern, Hallstatt and Obertraun. Directly on the western shore is the early history of significant town of Hallstatt.

Across the lake is a shipping line connecting the local City Hall with its railway ago, this was only until around 1980, Austria's leading post line by ship and was also served with a corresponding thickness of the ice on the lake by snowmobile.

Catchment area

The catchment area of Lake Hallstatt is located mostly in the limestone. It has 646 square kilometers and extends from 508 m above sea level. A. to 2995 m above sea level. A. The majority of the catchment area (88.9 %) consists of forests and natural areas, only 6.2 % are occupied by agricultural, 2.6% of built-up areas.

Environment

Water Quality

The visual depth of Lake Hallstatt varies between little more than one and about 14 meters, on average from 2007 to 2010 it was 7.2 m. It is heavily dependent on rainfall, low visibility depths are due mainly to mineral turbidity after storms. The highest visibility depths are usually after prolonged rainless periods, such as during winter and occasionally even in midsummer measured.

By Mühlbach, are the Hallstatt salt deposits in the catchment area, it often leads to high chloride concentrations in the lake. In the past, the lake was also affected by fertilizer materials that promoted the growth of algae. In particular, high phosphorus concentrations resulted in the late 1970s to an increasing eutrophication. The construction of a sewage treatment plant and a Maritime Administration of the lake has been significantly relieved and is today ( 2011) classified as oligotrophic.

The chloride contamination of the lake could initially be reduced by a modified salt extraction methods. In October 2005, however, there was a line break in the higher salt mine, which over the mill stream about 11,000 cubic meters of brine (equivalent to 4,000 tons of salt, according to other sources 3000 tons ) are flowed into the lake. The salt lake thus formed in more than 100 m depth is likely to be deposited there for years to stable and limit the habitat of small organisms and fish, such as lake trout.

Flora

While, no riparian vegetation exists on the steep banks where the rock walls plunge straight into the sea, the littoral and in particular the wetlands and siltation Moore in the north and south offer an ecologically valuable habitat for many rare animal and plant species.

In the creek mouth areas to find smaller alluvial forests with alders and willows.

The Eastern Teufelsabbiss ( Succisella inflexa ) comes in Upper Austria near the Traunsee only on Lake Hallstatt in the Gosaumühle and Obertraun ago. The glossy -leaved, an endangered and strictly protected orchid, grows on the wet meadows at Steeg on the north shore. There is also the also endangered pygmy hedgehog piston.

In the lake, especially in the mouth regions, there is a Submersvegetation with Haarblättrigem water crowfoot, marsh pond thread spawning herbs and Chara spp.

Fauna

The reed belts are breeding grounds for water birds to bird species found in the wetlands such as reed bunting, red-backed shrike and Stonechat. The Steeger Bay is an important wintering area for numerous waterfowl, and in the summer moulting area for egrets and Pochard. The drainage ditches in the wetlands at Steeg serve different amphibian species as spawning grounds.

One of the main fish species in the lake include northern pike, brown trout, lake trout, whitefish, burbot, perch and trout. The eel was not originally ago but has been used or eingeschleppt.Endemisch lives here a porcupine fish.

Use

Besides fishing ( between 7.5 and 10 tons per year) of the lake for tourism is used, whether for swimming and diving, or for trips with the typical einruderigen Salzkammergut boats, the so-called flattening. Since the lake on the lower ( northern) part ( near Bad Goisern / Steeg ) often freezes over in the winter, it is also used for winter sports. On the side opposite the town of Hallstatt lake side there is the railway station of Salzkammergutbahn from which one comes with the ship to Hallstatt.

The lake is located ( along with a lot of bank) owned by the Austrian Federal Forests with the task to get the lake to the public. Importantly, this is for the preservation of the World Heritage Hallstatt, as well as ( in many places free ) access to the lake. Small sea use - about händisches drawing water - is generally allowed, there are places to swim and regulates the possibility to dive. Around 1980 the Hallstatt was a frequented dive site in Austria.

At Corpus Christi is held annually is a sea. This riding alongside Mutzen on which the altar and priest are many flower- boats across the lake.

Another highlight is the annual early May held Hallstatt - runout, a half marathon with international participants.