Lake Melaren

For the Swedes, Lake Melaren has long been transformed from the third largest into the first in importance. And all because on its eastern shore lies the beautiful Stockholm, a city of millions, the capital of this wonderful Scandinavian country.

The length is about 120 km (approximate value, as the lake is winding and consists of different parts).
The maximum width can reach 65 km.
The area is 1,090 km2.
The maximum depth is about 61 m.
The average depth is 11.9 m.
The volume of water is 13.6 km3.
The coastline is 1,410 km long.

The reservoir that exists in this basin is already 12 thousand years old. However, back in the Middle Ages, Lake Melaren did not exist. In its place was the Gulf of the Baltic, which eventually (around the 13th century) became very shallow and was separated from the sea, becoming inland and fresh, plunging into the center of the peninsula for almost a hundred kilometers. And even after separation from the sea, the name "Melaren", derived from the old Norwegian word "gravel", did not appear immediately. Its first name is Logrinn, which means simply "lake".

Currently, a network of hydraulic structures — locks and dams - has been built between Melaren and the Baltic Sea. They allow you to control the water level. The deep tectonic depression is filled with the waters of five large rivers. There's only one river flowing out of the lake, the Norrstrom. It is through her, as well as through the built Södertal Canal, that the lake keeps in touch with the sea. This waterway allows large cities located on the lake to have direct access to the Baltic Sea. This contributes to the development of industry in the region — logging, pulp and paper mills, textile and chemical enterprises.   

From a bird's-eye view, the lake resembles spilled ink. Its coastline is so winding, and the arms have so many branches that it's easy to get lost among the countless capes and bays. Interestingly, there are at least five zones in the lake, each of which differs from the others both in the chemical composition of the water and in the diversity of flora and fauna.

Over a dozen large islands occupy almost the entire middle part of the reservoir. The three most prominent islands are close to a hundred square kilometers in area. More than a thousand small islands, as well as several thousand rocky hills, are scattered throughout the rest of the lake. They create the very picturesque rocky and wooded horizons for which Melaren is famous, because "nowhere does it spread wide, storm-lashed expanses of waters," as S. Lagerlef wrote about the lake in the fairy tale "The Wonderful Journey of Nils with Wild Geese."

For the cozy coves, for the magnificent dense coniferous caps of the islands, for the proximity to the Baltic Sea and, finally, for the amazing variety of biological resources, this lake has always been held in high esteem by the Scandinavian peoples, starting with the Vikings and ending with the modern Swedes. It is also recognized by international public organizations.

The two large islands of Melaren are home to the Drottningholm Palace and Park complex, the residence of the Swedish kings and an important archaeological site, the ancient city of Birka, a political and commercial center of the Early Middle Ages. Both of these islands, Louvain and Bjorke, respectively, belong to UNESCO World Heritage Sites and annually attract more than one thousand tourists who want to saturate their stay in Stockholm with a cultural program. By the way, the Swedish capital itself is built on 14 islands. And besides Drottningholm, two dozen more palaces and castles have been built on the shores of the lake, which were built at different times for the royals and their subjects.

However, there are places on the lake that are far from civilization. Numerous migratory birds nest in these protected areas, which have chosen quiet coves and clear channels as their home. Osprey, river tern, seagulls and geese of several species can be found almost everywhere. Twenty years ago, the lake was favored by large cormorants, which had not been found in these parts before. Now ornithologists count at least two thousand nests of this large bird of prey. And it is not surprising that cormorants, as well as the white-tailed eagle and other birds like Melaren, because such a variety of fish for every taste is not found in every lake in Scandinavia.

Almost 30 species of fish live here. There are no endemics in the reservoir, but even without that, the Swedes highly appreciate the rich biological resources of the lake, which include pikes, bream, and river perch, as well as trout and walleye. You can catch these lake beauties absolutely for free. The restriction is imposed only on the size of the catch: it is allowed to keep adult individuals half a meter long. Young animals that accidentally fall for the bait must be released back into the lake. This rule applies mainly to fishing in urban areas.

The Swedes take very seriously not only the conservation of populations of lake inhabitants, but also the quality of its water, which is the key to the biodiversity of the reservoir and the food security of citizens. A few decades ago, fish from Melaren was dangerous to eat, and its water was so polluted that special signs were placed on the shores for tourists and locals warning about the dangers of bathing. The shores themselves looked like landfills in places. Almost all environmental problems were solved at once after the construction of ultramodern incinerators in Stockholm and its suburbs, which not only do not poison the atmosphere with harmful chemical compounds, but also allow large cities to be heated. Since then, there has been no debris left on the banks of the Melaren.