Lake in Macedonia, Greece
Lake Orestiada
or
Lake of Kastoria
(
Greek
:
Λ?μνη Ορεστι?δα
) is a
lake
in the
Kastoria regional unit
of
Macedonia
, northwestern
Greece
. It spreads out in a natural basin, surrounded by mountains and is the remnant of a huge ancient Miocene lake that reached an area of 164 square kilometres and at a depth of 50 meters. Sitting at an altitude of 630 metres, the lake covers an area of 28 square kilometres with a coastline that reaches 34 km. The maximum depth of the lake reaches about 9 meters and the average depth 4.5 meters.
To the north-east rises Mount Vitsi, to the north-west Mount Triklarios and to the south-west spread the foothills of Voios. Lake Orestiada is mainly refreshed by the waters that descend from Mount Vitsi through Xiropotamos on the eastern banks, but also by smaller streams, such as Aposkepos, Foudouklis, Istakos, Fotini, Metamorfosi, Toichi, Agios Athanasios and Vyssinia.
Its catchment area reaches 267 square kilometres.
Nine rivulets flow into the lake, and it drains into the
Haliacmon
river, via the small Gioli stream. Its depth varies from nine to ten metres. To the west, the Kastoria Peninsula (with the town of
Kastoria
) divides the lake into two parts, the larger to the north and the smaller to the south, giving the lake its characteristic kidney shape.
The lake takes its name from the
Oreiades
. Lakeside attractions include, apart from the Byzantine architectural heritage of the town, an 11th-century Byzantine
monastery of Panagia Mavriotissa
and the reconstructed prehistoric settlement of
Dispilio
, where the
Dispilio Tablet
was retrieved from the lake in 1992. The lake is known to freeze in winters, for 2 to 5 weeks.
Orestiada
is surrounded by wooded hills, wet meadows, reedbeds, lakeside forests, marshes and fields, habitats that support a rich birdlife. It is a eutrophic lake, which is due to agricultural waste from crops and chronic pollution from the city's municipal sewage.
To the north-west of the lake stretches a lakeside forest of willows, poplars and alders. To the east and south, reside seasonal wetlands and reedbeds of reeds. Around the perimeter of the lake, burla and mats grow.
Dominant trees around the lake are sycamores with the vegetation complemented by elms, cranberries, blackberries and wild roses. Aquatic plants include most honorably the water chestnut
Water caltrop
(or
Trapa natans
), the
Najas marina
sub-species major,
Stuckenia pectinata
, Potamogeton species, including
Potamogeton crispus
water lilies,
Potamogeton natans
,
Potamogeton perfoliatus
and
Potamogeton lucens
,
Azolla filiculoides
, the hornworts
Ceratophyllum demersum
and
Ceratophyllum submersum
,
Persicaria amphibia
,
Myriophyllum spicatum
, water lilies
Nymphaea alba
and
Nuphar lutea
,
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
,
Lemna gibba
,
Spirodela polyrhiza
among many.
The flora around the lake and on the peninsula includes rare and beautiful species.
In this category, are featured the lily species
Lilium candidum
and
Galeopsis ladanum
the iris species
Iris pseudacorus
,
Stachys palustris
, the
Leucojum aestivum
aestivum sub-species, as well as the aquatic plant sub-species of
Delphinium balcanicum
and
Butomus umbellatus
.
In the surrounding hills, blooms the rare sub-species
Pulsatilla halleri
.
Other plants of the region feature the
Centaurea graeca
centaurea species, the
Scutellaria galericulata
perennial herb sub-species, the
Paronychia macedonica
sub-species of paronychia plants, the
Campanula versicolor
variant,
Althaea officinalis
,
Verbascum flavidum
,
Clematis viticella
clematis sub-species,
Alisma plantago-aquatica
Rorippa amphibia
,
Oenanthe aquatica
,
Eleocharis palustris
,
Lythrum salicaria
,
Galium palustre
,
Veronica anagallis-aquatica
,
Mentha aquatica
,
Nasturtium officinale
(or
Watercress
), the
Sparganium erectum
sparganium
perennial plant sub-species, and
Helosciadium nodiflorum
among many.
Lake Orestiada marks more than 200 species of birds to have been observed, 90 of which breed here.
Pelican sub-species, such as the silver pelican, the rose pelican, geese sub-species such as gray goose and heron species are important.
In Lake Orestiada, resides the largest breeding place of the mute swan in Greece.
Predators include vultures and its sub-species of griffon vultures, spotted vultures, reed vultures, meadow vultures, winter vultures.
Other birds, such as buzzards, hawks, falcons, sledgehammers, rock kestrels, black kestrels, harrier sub-species including dwarf harriers, tree harriers and peregrines
Nocturnal raptors include owls and its sub-species of pygmy owls, other birds such as buzzards.
Among ducks, rare coots, barbarians, teals, whistlings, sardines, grebes, mallards and black-headed ducks also live here.
Pictures
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See also
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Bibliography
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