Small Prespa Lake

Small Prespa Lake
File:St.Ahil from Langi.JPG
Location
Location	Balkans (primarily Greece, Albania – a small part)
Coordinates
Type	tectonic
Basin countries	Greece, Albania
Surface area	46.8 km²
Max. depth	7.7 m
Surface elevation	853 m
Islands	Agios Achillios, Vidronisi

Small Prespa Lake (Greek: Λίμνη Μικρή Πρέσπα, Limni Mikri Prespa; Albanian: Prespa e Vogël, Macedonian: Мало Преспанско Езеро, Malo Prespansko Ezero) is a lake shared between Greece (138 km² drainage area; 42.5 km² surface area) and Albania (51 km² drainage area; 4.3 km² surface area). It is the smaller of the two Prespa Lakes.

Details

Small Prespa Lake in particular has been recognized as an important wetland ecosystems favoring breeding and feeding of rare water bird species. It is best known for hosting the largest breeding colony of the Dalmatian pelican in the world. The flora in the region is composed of more than 1,500 plant species of which 146 endemic species in the Lake Ohrid and 39 endemic species from the Prespa Lakes.

Small Prespa Lake contains the island of Agios Achilleios; the island was an early capital of Bulgarian Tsar Samuel in the 10th century. It became a tourist and fishing centre in the 1970s. Located on the island of Agios Achilleios is the Basilica of St Achilleios. It is an example of the survival of Early Christian architectural style in the Byzantine period.

The villages surrounding the lake are Agios Germanos, Laimos, Milionas, Platy, Kallithea, Lefkonas, Prespes, Karyes, Mikrolimni, Oxia, Pyli and Vrontero.

During 1970 significant amounts of water from the Devoll river was diverted into the lake with the intention to use it latter during the summer time for the irrigation purposes. Due to the high suspended solids in the river water significant siltation did occur on the Albanian side. The practice has recently stopped. The Albanian part of this lake has a surface of 420 hectares. In 1999 the Society for the Protection of Prespa received the Ramsar Wetland Conservation Award for its conservation efforts regarding the Lake Prespa Ramsar site.

Gallery

• Agios Axillios.JPG

  Walkway to Agios Achillios

• Opposite Agios Axillios.JPG

  Walkway from Agios Achillios

• View from Summit of Agios Axillios.JPG

  View from the summit of Agios Achillios

• Church ruins on Ayios Axillios.JPG

  Church ruins on Agios Achillios

• Monastery of Pavayia Porfaras.JPG

  Exterior of Monastery of Pavayia Porfaras, Agios Achillios

• Interior Monastery of Pavayia Porfaras.JPG

  Interior of Monastery of Pavayia Porfaras, Agios Achillios

• Summit of Agios Axillios.JPG

  Marked summit of Agios Achillios

• Basilica ruins, Agios Axillios, Lake Prespa.JPG

  Basilica ruins, Agios Axillios

Source

• http://www.ekby.gr/ekby/en/alwet_web/alwet_site/en/alwet_aims_Prespa_en.html

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Transboundary Prespa Park