Lake Kerkini

How it formed

Before 1932 the Strymon flowed through irregular marsh lakes, one of them known as Podkova, a Slavic word meaning horseshoe. The lake was made by building embankments on both sides of the river and a dam near the village of Lithotopos, which began to work in 1932. The Strymon carried so much silt that the lake's capacity shrank, and the embankments were raised and a new dam built, which began to operate in the early 1980s.

The Strymon is its main source of water, with the Kerkinitis river, and the size of the lake changes with the water level. The surrounding country is flat and semi-mountainous.

History

The reservoir replaced an extremely extensive marsh in the first half of the twentieth century.

Nature

The lake provides a habitat for thousands of waterfowl and lies on the migratory flyway to the Aegean, the Balkans and the Black Sea. Rare and protected birds, riverside forests, large beds of water lilies and a variety of fish give it its character. A herd of water buffalo and jackals live in the area, and amphibians, reptiles and many insects live in the surroundings. The lake is covered by the Ramsar Convention.

Pelicans and more

Kerkini is one of Europe's leading breeding sites for both white and Dalmatian pelicans, and cormorants, herons, gulls and terns also gather in large numbers. More than 300 bird species have been recorded, and flamingos are reported to live here all year. Water buffalo graze near the shore, and some day trips include a visit to a buffalo farm.