Grüner See (Styria)

Grüner See (Green Lake) is a lake in Styria, Austria in a village named Tragöß. The lake is surrounded by the Hochschwab Mountains and forests.[1] The name "Green Lake" originated because of its emerald-green water.[1] The clean and clear water comes from the snowmelt from the karst mountains and has a temperature of 6–7 °C (43–45 °F).[1] During winter, the lake is only 1–2 m (3–7 ft) deep and the surrounding area is used as a county park.

Grüner See
Grüner See (Green Lake) against Meßnerin in May 2007
LocationTragöß, Styria, Austria
Coordinates47°32′30″N 15°3′21″E
Basin countriesAustria
Max. depthup to 12 m (39 ft)

However, in spring, when the temperature rises and snow melts, the basin of land below the mountains fills with water. The lake reaches its maximum depth of around 12 m (39 ft) from mid-May to June and is claimed to look the most beautiful at this time.[1] In July, the water begins to recede.[2]

The lake supports a variety of fauna such as snails, water fleas (Daphnia pulex), small crabs, fly larvae, and different species of trout (Salmo).[1] The flora is not abundant because of the rocky bottom of the lake.[1] Furthermore, the lake’s depth is variable since its inflow comes from snowmelt.[1]

The lake was popular among divers who could observe the green meadows in the edge zone of the lake particularly in June when the water is at its highest.[1][2] A bridge and a bench could also be found underwater.[1] Furthermore, trails and trees could also be seen underwater.[3]

Because of the spike in tourist visits that has occurred and expected damage to this sensitive environment, the use of this lake for all watersports activities has been prohibited since 1 January 2016.[4]

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References
  1. Nicola Rampazzo; Franz Ottner; Franz Zehetner; Axel Mentler; Winfried E. H. Blum (2008). "Altitudinal Soil Sequence In The Austrian Northern Calcareous Alps" (PDF). Eurosoil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 August 2011. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  2. "Rest your weary sea legs: Divers explore pristine alpine park that turns into a lake for half the year". Daily Mail. UK. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 10 May 2011.
  3. "This Was Just An Ordinary Park Last Week. Now, It's The Most Beautiful Lake Ever". The San Diego Herald. 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  4. "Austria's Green Lake Closes for Divers". Dive Magazine.

Further reading
  • Bretschko G (1966). "Der Grüne See bei Tragöß, Steiermark. Ein Beitrag zur Karstlimnologie". Internationale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie und Hydrographie (in German). 51 (5): 699–726. doi:10.1002/iroh.19660510503.
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