Lake Kerkini

The Lake Kerkini (Greek Λίμνη Κερκίνη, Bulgarian Бутковско езеро ) is the third largest reservoir in Greece.

Geography

The Kerkini Lake is located in the northwest of the Regional District of Serres in the Administrative Region of Central Macedonia, only a few kilometers south of Mount Beles ( Beles or Kerkini; 2,031 m) with the running on him Greek-Bulgarian border and dammed the river Strymonas ( goiter) on. It extends along the eastern flank of the mountain Mavrovouni ( 1,179 m) from northwest to southeast in the western part of the plain of Strymonas after its passage through the Roupel pass between the Mountain Kerkini ( Beles ) in the west and the mountain Orvilos ( 2,212 m above sea level ) in the east.

The western shore is mountainous, bordering the foothills of Mavrovouni, while the eastern shore shallow runs against the river plain of the Strymonas and provides settlement area for the villages Sidirokastro, Promachonas and Strymoniko. The north shore is for a short distance to the north also flat and then proceeds in the foothills of the Kerkini mountain. The Strymonas flows after the passage of Roupel Pass from north to south east of Neo Petritsi and west of Sidirokastro to the east and runs on the Kerkini lake or walking between the villages Vyronia in the north and in the south Gonimo fluent in the Kerkini See above. The transition varies depending on water level and pushes itself over the course of years and decades in southwestern direction into the actual sea area into what is due to the sediment load of the Strymonas. The transition between the river Strymonas after passage of the wetlands and the lake Kerkini is located on a line between Mandraki in the north and in the south Limnochori. The westernmost point of Kerkini lake is located south of the village Kerkini, the easternmost town in the Limnochori, the northernmost between the villages of Mandraki and Neohori and the southernmost in the village Lithotopos. The northern, eastern and southern shores are dominated by wetlands; particular the transition between the river and the Strymonas Kerkini Lake is a large contiguous wetland.

The Kerkini lake has a surface area of ​​37.688 km ² and a maximum length of 14.490 km and a maximum width of 5.65 km. Depending on water levels, the water surface or the maximum extensions may however be lower. Antoniadou and other observed in their investigations a water depth of 31.5 m and a water surface area of ​​4,500 hectares in the months of September to February; in the months of May to June was the water depth is 35.5 m and the water surface of 7,300 hectares.

Flood protection

The dam, which impounds the Strymonas to Kerkini Lake, located in the southeast of the lake near the village of Lithotopos. It was built in 1932. Other tributaries of the lake Kerkini are the Kerkinitis, which opens north-west into the lake, and the Krousias. Both rivers carry much less water than the Strymonas, which opens into the north-east of the lake and goes into it. The original purpose of the Kerkini lake was the water level regulation of Strymonas to prevent flooding downstream. In addition to this use of the lake Kerkini was increasingly taken over the course of the year water for irrigation of agricultural land along the Strymonas level or the level of Serres- Sidirokastro. 1982, a new dam was built as a result of temporarily lower water level, including through the sediment of the river Strymonas and thus the decline in capacity.

Wetland

Apart from the use for flood control and for irrigation of agricultural land, the Kerkini lake has developed into an important wetland, which is currently under the protection of both the Ramsar Convention and the European Natura 2000 program. 30 species of freshwater fish and 300 species of birds have in and around the lake Kerkini around their habitat. In addition to birds and fish can be found from rare animals such as the wolf.

In the 1990s and 2000s the tourist importance of the lake has increased. With the same intense human use, the environmental problems of the lake have increased due to water pollution and water extraction.

Transport links

The Kerkini lake is affected by major traffic arteries. Along the northern shore the national road 65 from Kilkis runs in the west to the south and the east bank of Doiransees through the valley of the river Kerkinitis about Rodopoli, Neohori, Mandraki, Vyronia and Neo Petritsi on the National Road 63 ( European Road 79) and leads into this by crossing the Strymonas. The National Highway 63 leads from Serres on Sidirokastro after Promachonas the Bulgarian border and then in the further course in Bulgarian territory to the capital of Bulgaria, Sofia. In parallel to this road the railway line Sofia -Thessaloniki extends to the junction of state highways 63 and 65 in Neo Petritsi. The route to Thessaloniki swung west along the north shore of Lake Kerkini, the railway line to Serres, Alexandroupolis, Edirne and Istanbul runs south-southeast by a significant distance away to the east bank of the Kerkini lake. The National Road 63 to 2010 ( or 2012 ) are replaced by the highway 12 which is connected directly to Bulgaria Thessaloniki. On the western shore of the lake only one road runs of secondary importance of Kerkini in the north to the south Lithotopos.