Lac de la Cavayère
Encyclopedia
Lac de la Cavayère is an artificial lake in the Languedoc-Roussillon
région of France
, close to the mediaeval town of Carcassonne
.
The lake, also known as Carcassonne Plage (in English, Carcassonne Beach), was created by the building of a 23 metre high dam
in 1988 after severe forest fires affected the area in 1985. The surface area of the lake, which is fed by the creeks of Montirat, Bazalac and Mitgé, is 180,000 m² and it is 1.5 million cubic metres in volume.
It is a short distance from the town of Carcassonne and has been made into a popular recreation area. Ducks and wildfowl are common and the 400,000 m² surrounding area is notable for a diversity of habitats, flora and fauna.
The beaches slope gently and there are supervised bathing areas. Boats are available for rent and there are picnic
areas and a crazy golf course as well as a nearby chateau
.
During 2005 the lake was closed to bathing due to strong algal blooms
.
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
région of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, close to the mediaeval town of Carcassonne
Carcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
.
The lake, also known as Carcassonne Plage (in English, Carcassonne Beach), was created by the building of a 23 metre high dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
in 1988 after severe forest fires affected the area in 1985. The surface area of the lake, which is fed by the creeks of Montirat, Bazalac and Mitgé, is 180,000 m² and it is 1.5 million cubic metres in volume.
It is a short distance from the town of Carcassonne and has been made into a popular recreation area. Ducks and wildfowl are common and the 400,000 m² surrounding area is notable for a diversity of habitats, flora and fauna.
The beaches slope gently and there are supervised bathing areas. Boats are available for rent and there are picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
areas and a crazy golf course as well as a nearby chateau
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
.
During 2005 the lake was closed to bathing due to strong algal blooms
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
.