Lake Kerkini
Lake Kerkini is a special case of wetland. It was created in 1932 with the construction of a dam in the stream of the river Shtymonas at the height of the village Lithotopos. Its original purpose was the containment of the flood waters of Strymon, but later it was also used to store water for the irrigation of the plain of Serres. In its place there existed a complex system of extensive and shallow wetlands fed by the river waters.
Nowadays, the diversity of vegetation, the presence of hundreds of bird species, the rich aquatic bird and the many species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians that exist in the area are the natural continuity of life that existed before the construction of the dam. The construction of the technical lake sprouted the waters of Strymon, helped to fight the malaria nightmare, gave life to the fields of the plain and helped to the economic development of the county and the rehabilitation of the 85,000 refugees from the Asia Minor catastrophe. In 1982, the continuous decrease in the capacity of the lake, due to the sludge transport of Strymon, led to the construction of a new dam that rose the lake level.
Kerkini is one of the 11 Greek Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention) and one of the 113 Important Bird Areas of Greece (IBA). It is covered by European and international legislation, such as European Union Directive 79/409 and the Barcelona Convention. It is also an area of the European Network “Nature 2000” according to Directive 92/43 / EEC. In 1993, Joint Ministerial Decision 66272/93 was signed for the delimitation of the wetland, which defines its protection zones and regulates the activities in them. At the same time, prefectural decisions regulate hunting, fishing during the breeding season, and logging.
Flora
Kerkini Lake has rich vegetation with plants floating on the surface of the water (rhizomatophyta), rooted plants on the sea floor, which grow in the water or on the surface (water lilies, river gullies) and reed plants and wet meadows. The entry of nutrients in the lake from Strymon has favored the growth of vegetation. However, the variation of the level of up to five meters per year resulted in many species disappearing, unable to adapt to the variation in water depth.
Extensive reedbeds with wetland species such as rushes almost disappeared. Hydrological conditions favored the development of a colored carpet with water lilies at the northern end of the lake, which is the largest such area throughout Greece. Unfortunately, the great fluctuation of the level every year threatens to eliminate them, and to turn Kerkini into a simple water store.
In the northern part of the lake, at the estuary of Strymon, there is the riverside forest, which is the main place for feeding and nesting of many rare birds, as well as a place of breeding and development of fish. Just a few years ago there were many species of trees such as willows, amorphous, faeces, army trees, etc., which gave a particular color to the landscape. Because of the continuous flooding, nowadays there are mostly willows. The extent of the forest fell from 7,000 acres in 1980 to almost half, and if it continues to flood at the same rate, it is in danger of disappearing altogether.
The surrounding mountains of Kerkini (Beles) and Mavrovouni (Krousia) are covered by forest vegetation, mainly beech trees in the highest parts, and many oak species mixed with linden trees, hazelnuts, anchovies and other deciduous evergreen shrub species in the lower regions. Many wildflowers decorate with their colors the mountain slopes. The protection of natural vegetation from human interventions (illegal fishing, forest fires, overgrazing, landslides) will ensure the protection of the soil of the basin from erosion, as well as the diversity of plants and animals in the area.
Fauna
In the wider area of Lake Kerkini there are many species of mammals, many of which are threatened, such as Vida, Zarkadi, Jackal, Wolf, Wild Eagle, and there are several common species such as Fox, Niphitsa, the Hare, the Hedgehog, Asbos, etc. Also, about 10 species of amphibians and more than 20 species of reptiles are found in both the riparian forest and surrounding wetlands.
Of great importance is also the lake fish-fauna. More than 30 species of fish, most of which are indigenous, have been recorded in the wider Kerkini-Strymon system. The lake has several species of commercial interest, such as Cypriot (Grivadi) and Butterfly, and has significant fishing output. After the construction of the new dam in 1982, eels and Gulianus disappeared from the lake, while the number of Carps was reduced.
Over 300 species of birds have been recorded in the lake and the surrounding mountains. Two of these, Argiropelecanos and Laggona, are threatened with extinction worldwide. The most important colonies of the Balkan Peninsula from the Cormorants, Chiliaromites, Halkocots and various species of herons are also observed, while in the last few years there have been observed new species in the region, such as Nanochina, Phiicopteros, Kounigerakas, Nanokykonos and others. In the wider area there are many bird predators, such as Vassilaetos, Chrysaetos, Petritis, Stypetaetos and others. However, some species, such as sea-eagle and Stavraetos, Kalamotrilistis and Kalamokirkos, are no longer nesting here due to deterioration in their nesting places.