Lake Engure
Encyclopedia
Lake Engure is a lake
in the western part of Latvia
, in the Talsi district
. It is the third largest lake in the country after Lake Lubāns and Lake Rāzna.
Lake Engure is an ancient sea lagoon, divided from the sea by a 1.5 - 2.5 km wide sand bar with dune
s. Its outflow is the artificial Mersraga channel, dug in 1842. It is eutrophic
, mostly overgrown with reeds, and contains 16 species of fish.
The whole lake and its vicinity have been included in the Lake Engure Nature Park
since 1999, although the first natural reserve was established here in 1957. It contains a floating base for ornithologists. The lake was included in Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance
in 1995.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the western part of Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, in the Talsi district
Talsi District
Talsi District was an administrative division of Latvia, located in Courland region, in the country's west. It was one of the former 26 rural districts of Latvia and it consisted of 20 local communities.These included three towns:...
. It is the third largest lake in the country after Lake Lubāns and Lake Rāzna.
Lake Engure is an ancient sea lagoon, divided from the sea by a 1.5 - 2.5 km wide sand bar with dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s. Its outflow is the artificial Mersraga channel, dug in 1842. It is eutrophic
Eutrophication
Eutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
, mostly overgrown with reeds, and contains 16 species of fish.
The whole lake and its vicinity have been included in the Lake Engure Nature Park
Lake Engure Nature Park
Lake Engure Nature Park is a protected park in Latvia covering . It was designated as a nature spot in 1998....
since 1999, although the first natural reserve was established here in 1957. It contains a floating base for ornithologists. The lake was included in Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
in 1995.