Pyayanne Lake

Finland is a huge lake region the size of a state. Some lakes merge into others, connect with channels to others, and this continues all the way to the sea. All the lakes have bizarre shapes, glacier-cut shores, and many islands rising here and there above the lake surface. Finland's second largest lake, Pyayanne, is no exception.

The length is about 120 km.
The maximum width is 28 km.
The area is 1080.63 km2.
The maximum depth is about 95.3 m.
The average depth is 16.2 m.
The volume of water is 18.1 km3.

The illusion of vast expanses does not arise here, because there are almost two thousand islands in the lake, overgrown with forest. No matter where you are in the lake, the land will always be somewhere nearby.

This glacial-tectonic natural reservoir arose, like other lakes in Finland, at the time of the retreat of the ice sheet from the northern shores of Eurasia. It was left over from the huge Ancyl Lake, which covered a significant part of the modern countries of this part of Europe 10,000 years ago. And only after the regression occurred and the Ancylov Lake split into many reservoirs of the Baltic basin, Pyayanne and a thousand other Scandinavian lakes were formed.

Pyayanne is connected to one of them, Keitel, which is smaller but no less fascinating, by a shipping channel. As a result, a 450-kilometer route was formed, along which the Suomen Suvi cruise ship runs. The lake is generally considered very suitable for tourism and not only water tourism. Campsites, recreation centers, and marinas for fishing boats are located along the shores and on numerous islands. A large national park with an area of 14 square kilometers offers vacationers wonderful ecologically clean places and unspoiled nature. Pyayanne Park was specially created in 1993 in order to harmoniously develop tourism and at the same time preserve natural resources as much as possible. Moreover, in terms of resources, the lake will give a head start to many reservoirs of the country, which by the end of the 20th century were so polluted that it was not possible to save their biodiversity.

Pyayanne Lake, as it is customary to say among fishermen, is a catch lake. It is home to dozens of species of ichthyofauna, most of which are commercial. Pike are caught in the open waters of the eastern and northern parts of the lake. Sometimes there are really huge specimens of this predatory fish. Near the icy rivers and streams flowing into the lake, trout fish, a passing form of salmon, are found. This fish is usually hunted in autumn and spring. In winter they go for burbot. The lake is also rich in crayfish. However, in order to catch these inhabitants of the northern reservoir, you will have to purchase a special license. Locals who live the same life with the reservoir are always ready to share with tourists their swimming facilities, gear, and fishing experience.

It's no secret that due to the increasing popularity of Finland's second largest lake, the flow of people eager to see this wonderful body of water is growing year by year. And gradually, the tourism industry in this region is becoming more important than industry. Moreover, many years ago, the Finns prioritized the environment and began to really take care of the state of water in the country's freshwater reservoirs.

Pyayanne Lake was eutrophic in the recent past. Due to the rapid growth of the coastal city of Jyvaskyla and the active development of the pulp and paper and forestry industries, so many harmful effluents containing phosphorus, nitrogen and other biologically active substances began to enter the reservoir that the oxygen level in it decreased to a critical norm. In the 70s of the last century, the lake could not have claimed to be on the list of the best natural corners of Finland, because it practically turned into a fetid swamp. Only the pulp and paper mill, operating in the town of Lievestuore at that time, poisoned the entire northern part of the lake with uncleaned wastewater. This factory was even immortalized in one of the pop songs of the 70s: "Although it smells bad, it gives us bread." This phrase contains the main problem of all water bodies in the world: humanity uses their resources too actively and does not always care about the consequences for nature, guided solely by its own interests.

Almost half a century has passed since the release of the Finnish smash hit, and now Finland has brought the beautiful lake Pyayanne to the standards of ecological cleanliness. The millionaire city of Helsinki draws drinking water from this reservoir through the longest 120-kilometer tunnel drilled into the crystal foundation. At the very beginning of its journey, the water passes through all kinds of gratings and filters, and at the end it enters the city's water supply system. Residents of the Finnish capital drink tap water raw, without resorting to additional purification. An amazing fact about the tunnel is not only the purity of the water, but also the thoughtful functionality of the engineering structure. The water flows by gravity along the rocky corridor, and the Finns even manage to generate electricity here. The depth of the tunnel is sufficient for the water to be protected from all possible sources of pollution. This experience of resource management can be useful for other lake regions.