Lago di Varano
Lake in Italy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lago di Varano is a salt lake (or lagoon)[3] in the Province of Foggia, Apulia, Italy.[4] It is the largest coastal lake in Italy, and the seventh-largest (by area) in the country.[3]
| Lago di Varano | |
|---|---|
 | |
  Lago di Varano | |
| Location | Province of Foggia, Apulia |
| Coordinates | 41°52′45″N 15°44′46″E |
| Catchment area | 300 km2 (120 sq mi)[1] |
| Basin countries | Italy |
| Max. length | 10 km (6.2 mi)[1] |
| Max. width | 7 km (4.3 mi)[1] |
| Surface area | 65 km2 (25 sq mi)[1][2] |
| Average depth | 4 m (13 ft)[2] |
| Max. depth | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Residence time | 1.5[2]-3[1] years |
Geography
Lago di Varano is located along the coast of the Gargano peninsula.[5] Different sources report contradictory surface areas for the lake, ranging between 51 km2 (20 sq mi)[4] and 65 km2 (25 sq mi).[2] It is located approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of Lake Lesina, another large salt lake/lagoon along the Adriatic coast.[1]
The water is saline/brackish, fed by salt water from two channels connecting to the adjacent Adriatic Sea and fresh water from a few rivers.[2][6] Its geographic form has changed over time; Strabo and Pliny the Elder refer to the lake as an gulf of the Adriatic Sea, before a barrier island formed and converted the gulf into a lagoon.[5] It was still a navigable harbor at the time of the Crusades.[3]
Human use
The shores of the lake are only lightly developed. Mussel farming takes place in the lagoon, with several thousand tons of mussels harvested annually.[2] The Isola di Varano, the island that separates the lagoon from the sea, is home to a nature reserve on its seaward side.[3] The entire lake and barrier island are also part of a Special Protection Zone with the nearby Lake Lesina.[1] The invasive red swamp crayfish, originally from North America, has been found in the lake as part of its spread through Italy.[6]
The lake is the subject of a local legend, an example of a flood myth. In the legend, the lake was originally the site of a corrupt town, called Uria, that was flooded and destroyed by God as a punishment. A pious sole survivor and her house were the only things to survive the flood.[5]
