Koronia Lake

What I can see

The lake, rich in reeds, unfortunately, is dying, along with its fish and birds and Greece had to explain and defend itself at the European court for the matter. Α walk in the area is not worth noting for its natural beauty, but its ecological educational role. Although the weather (rainfall, snowfall) in the years 2014 and 2015 led to a higher concentration of water and attracted more birds, Lake Koronia remains a clear example of an ecological disaster, which highlights the state’s and local negligence and the shortsighted agricultural policy.

What I can't see

During the Pleistocene Period, it was connected to the Lake Volvi and was called Mygdonia Lake. The RAMSAR treaty protects Koronia. Before its destruction, it occupied 46 square kilometres and was home to 10 different species of fish, thousands of birds and was 12m deep (currently it is 2m). The area was famous for its fish restaurants. The nearby industrial units, however, were operating without any wastewater filtering to the detriment of the lake’s water quality and the overexploitation of water for farming, resulted in the loss of 460 million cubic meters over the past 30 years. Apart from heavy metals and other toxic substances, the lake has a high salt content and is extremely alkaline, with a pH value of above 10. The master plan for its rescue had severe shortcomings and was more of a publicity stunt than offering any real solution.

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