|
|
|
|
|
Lake Location:
Russia | Lake Area:
6,835 sq. miles | Lake Depth:
738 feet |
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga, Ladozhskoye Ozero; Finnish: Laatokka) is a freshwater lake located in Republic of Karelia and Leningrad Oblast in northwestern Russia. It is the largest lake in Europe, and the 14th largest lake by area in the world.
The lake's area is 17,891 km2 (excluding the islands). Its length (north to south) is 219 km, average width is 83 km, average depth is 51 m, maximum depth is about 230 m (in north-western part). Basin area: 276,000 km2, volume: 837 km3 (earlier estimated as 908 km3);. There are about 660 islands, with a total area of 435 km2. Ladoga's level above the sea is 5 m on average. Most of the islands, including the famous Valaam archipelago, Kilpola and Konevets, are situated in the north-western part.
Separated from the Baltic Sea by the Karelian Isthmus, it drains into the Gulf of Finland via the Neva River.
The basin of the Ladoga includes about 50,000 lakes and 3,500 rivers longer than 10 km. About 85% of the water income is due to tributaries, 13% is due to precipitation, and 2% is due to underground waters. The most significant tributaries are:
- Svir River from Lake Onega (south-east, discharge: 790 m3/s);
- Volkhov River from Lake Ilmen (south, discharge: 580 m3/s);
- Vuoksi River from Lake Saimaa in Finland (west, discharge: 540 m3/s).
- Syas River (south, discharge: 53 m3/s).
The Ladoga is navigable, being a part of Volga-Baltic Waterway connecting the Baltic Sea with the Volga River. The Ladoga Canal bypasses the lake in the southern part, connecting the Neva to the Svir.
The Ladoga is rich with fish. 48 forms (species and infraspecific taxa) of fish have been encountered in the lake, including roach, carp bream, zander, European perch, ruffe, endemic variety of smelt, two varieties of Coregonus albula (vendace), eight varieties of Coregonus lavaretus, a number of other Salmonidae as well as, albeit rarely, endangered Atlantic sturgeon. Commercial fishing was once a major industry but has been hurt by overfishing. After the war, between 1945–1954, the total annual catch increased and reached a maximum of 4,900 tonnes. However, unbalanced fishery led to the drastic decrease of catch in 1955–1963, sometimes to 1,600 tonnes per year. Trawling has been forbidden in Lake Ladoga since 1956 and some other restrictions were imposed. The situation gradually recovered, and in 1971-1990 the catch ranged between 4,900 and 6,900 tonnes per year, about the same level as the total catch in 1938. Fish farms and recreational fishing are developing.
It has its own endemic Ringed Seal subspecies known as the Ladoga Seal.
Since the beginning of the 1960s Ladoga has become considerably eutrophicated.
Nizhnesvirsky Natural Reserve is situated along the shore of Lake Ladoga immediately to the north of the mouth of the River Svir. (Source)
|
