Wolayer lake
| Wolayer lake | ||
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| The lake from the south with the Wolayerseehütte | ||
| Geographical location | Carnic Alps near Plöckenpass | |
| Tributaries | none | |
| Drain | underground | |
| Data | ||
| Coordinates | 46 ° 36 '40 " N , 12 ° 52' 9" E | |
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| Altitude above sea level | 1951 m above sea level A. | |
| surface | 3.8 ha | |
| Maximum depth | 13.9 m | |
The Wolayer Lake is a mountain lake on the Carinthian side of the Carnic main ridge near the Plöckenpass . It is the center of the nature reserve Wolayer See and the surrounding area.
The lake is 1951 m above sea level and is 3.8 hectares in size. It is located in a sinkhole , which is tectonically formed and shaped by the Wolayer Glacier during the Ice Age . The catchment area only covers around 60 hectares. The precipitation in the area is 2000 to 2500 mm per year, which is why the water level is quite constant even without an above-ground inflow. The lake floor is covered in mud that seals the lake. The western part of the lake is relatively gently sloping, the eastern side rather steep. The deepest point is 13.9 m. However, two thirds of the lake are less than 5 m deep. The lake's underground water feeds two sources: one on Austrian territory, the second on Italian territory south of the Lambertenghi hut.
Physical and chemical parameters
The temperature of the surface water reaches a maximum of 12.5 ° C (August 1980). A stable temperature stratification in summer is not formed. This is due to the wind-exposed location of the lake, which is only 26 m below the nearby Wolayer Pass, through which strong winds fall. The lake is frozen over for six to seven months a year, and the layered ice cover can reach a thickness of two meters.
The water of the lake is slightly alkaline, the electrical conductivity is rather low with less than 100 µS / cm. The acid binding capacity is less than 1.3 meq / l, the hardness of lime is also low at 3 to 4 ° dH.
The nutrient concentration (phosphorus, nitrate) is rather low. Organic matter is introduced mainly through the air (pollen, parts of plants).
biology
Due to the low nutrient concentration, the amount of floating algae is also low. It is below 250 mg / m³.
The Wolayer See is naturally fish-free like most high-mountain lakes. In 1976, however, 15 brown trout were used, which drastically decimated the sea flea shrimp ( Gammarus lacustris ) population. The trout grew well at first, but after a few years stunted to forms of hunger. In 1980, 4,000 arctic char ( Salvelinus alpinus ) and brook char ( Salvelinus fontenalis ) were used. They also reproduced well at first, but also withered into forms of hunger, the so-called Schwarzreutern.
A silting zone is largely missing, as is vegetation with aquatic plants. There are few flat spots marsh plants occur, such as the narrow-leaf cotton grass ( Eriophorum angustifolium ), the marsh marigold ( Caltha palustris ), source saxifrage ( Saxifraga aizoides ) Mieren-fireweed ( Epilobium alsinifolium ) and rush species such as Juncus filiformis and Juncus triglumis .
Nature reserve
The Wolayer See is the center of the nature reserve Wolayersee and the surrounding area established in 1959 (LGBl. No. 34/1959, 19/1960, re-published in LGBl. No. 1/2003). In 1939.4 hectares on the Carnic main ridge west of the Plöckenpass. Geologically, the area consists of Silurian and Devonian limestone and this overlying Upper Carboniferous slate. The vegetation is formed by piles of blue grass , upholstered sedge lawns , rubble and crevice communities, gold fescue , Bürstling and curved sedge lawns . Plant species that should be mentioned are the alpine man litter ( Eryngium alpestre ), the sweet umbel ( Myrrhis odorata ) and the Austrian rib seed ( Pleurospermum austriacum ).
Web links
supporting documents
- Helmut Hartl, Hans Sampl, Ralf Unkart: Carinthia's gems. National parks, nature reserves, landscape reserves, natural monuments . Kärntner Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft, Klagenfurt 1993, ISBN 3-85391-092-0 , p. 34.
- The Wolayer lake and other high mountain lakes , in: W. Honsig-Erlenburg, W. Petutschnig: Die Gewässer des Gailtales . Natural science Association of Carinthia, Klagenfurt 2002, pp. 107-118, ISBN 3-85328-021-8 .