Hítarvatn
| Hítarvatn | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Hítardalur | ||
| Geographical location | Iceland | |
| Drain | Hítará | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 64 ° 53 '3 " N , 21 ° 57' 50" W | |
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| surface | 7.6 km² | |
| Maximum depth | 24 m | |
The Hítarvatn is a lake in western Iceland . It is located in the municipality of Borgarbyggð .
geography
The lake is 39 km north of Borgarnes near the Hítardalur farm. It has an area of 7.6 km² and is 24 m deep.
Some peninsulas protrude into the lake. Many birds breed there, but the influence of the mink has affected this somewhat.
The courtyards around the lake are deserted. The Hítarvatn and the outflow from the lake, the Hítará River , are popular fishing waters.
The lake is located in a valley that is visibly shaped by volcanism, the Hítardalur . It is separated from the Hnappadalur in the west by a mountain range . The most famous peaks are Fagraskógarfjall (640 m), Tröllakirkja (862 m), Kolbeinsstaðafjall (717 m) and Geirhnúkur (898 m). Another mountain range rises to the east with another Tröllakirkja (941 m) and Svörtutindur (842 m), which separates the valley from that of Langavatn . The mountains are part of the Ljósufjöll volcanic system .
Some caves are located in the craters by the courtyard, which is about 5 km southeast of the lake. The most famous of them are called Fjárhellir and Sönghellir .
History of the valley
Major fire 1148
A major fire took place in this valley on September 30, 1148. As the annals of Skálholt report, between 70 and 80 people died. Among them was the then Bishop of Skálholt, Magnús Einarsson , who was visiting the valley. Then a monastery was founded there, which existed from 1168 to 1201.
Scientists in the valley
After the Reformation , the scientist and priest Jón Halldórsson (1665–1736) resided at the Hítardalur farm of the same name in the 17th century, and he contributed a lot to the scientific records of the time in Iceland.
Landslide 2018
On July 7, 2018, the Fagraskógarfjall on the west side of the valley broke away . That was the biggest landslide since the country was settled. The river Hítará is dammed and had to look for a new river bed. People and cattle were not harmed.
Naming
The name of the lake, the valley and also the river Hítará, which is the outflow of the lake, is attributed to a troll woman named Hít , who according to folklore is said to have been here.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ nat.is: Hítarvatn
- ↑ Íslandshandbókin. 1.bindi. 1989, p. 133
- ↑ Þetta er bein afleiðing af þessum miklu rigningum. Retrieved July 13, 2018 (Icelandic).