Upper Lake Krakow

The Site is a lake embedded in a hilly landscape with several islands and peninsulas. The western part is more than 20 metres deep, while the eastern part is shallower. The shores are populated by reed belts in most parts. The islands in the lake provide favourable breeding conditions for the largest inland colony in Central Europe of common terns (Sterna hirundo). One of the islands hosts a colony of cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo) with a considerable number of breeding pairs; the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) breeds on another. The lake is an important resting site for migrating waterfowl and waders, and an important moulting site for tufted duck (Aythya fuligula) and common pochard (Aythya ferina). For the tufted duck, it is the most important moulting site in Central Europe. The increasing nutrient load from agricultural runoff following the conversion of grassland into cropland has had a major impact on the aquatic ecosystem and has caused eutrophication within the Site. The fish stock of the lake is exploited, though the intensity of fishing has decreased in recent times. Breeding birds are threatened by predatory mammals, especially foxes and alien predators such as mink, raccoons and raccoon dogs. There is a visitors’ centre for the Nossentiner-Schwinzer Heide nature park, which includes the Ramsar Site, and the centre supplies information accordingly.

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