Spechtensee

Spechtensee
The Spechtensee looking east
Location	Totes Gebirge, Styria,  Austria
Coordinates	47°33′34″N 14°05′52″E / 47.559381°N 14.097878°ECoordinates: 47°33′34″N 14°05′52″E / 47.559381°N 14.097878°E
Primary outflows	Wörschachbach
Max. length	250 m (820 ft)
Max. width	150 m (490 ft)
Surface area	3.5 ha (8.6 acres)
Max. depth	8 m (26 ft)
Surface elevation	1,051 m (3,448 ft)

The Spechtensee is a lake on the southern edge of the Totes Gebirge mountains in Austria in the parish of Pürgg-Trautenfels near Wörschachwald. The lake is named after the Specht family who were formerly resident in Stainach and who lived on the so-called Specht Estate (Spechtengut, nowadays Schloss Sonnhof="Sonnhof Manor House") until the end of the 19th century. The Spechtensee was part of the estate.

The lake is drained by the Wörschachbach stream, which flows through the famous Wörschachklamm gorge into the Enns valley. It has a maximum depth of eight metres,^[1][2] according to other sources it is eleven metres deep.^[3] The lake, which can be as warm as 23°C in summer, is also used as a swimming lake. On its northern shore is a bathing area and in the middle of the lake a small bathing platform is anchored. In the vicinity of the lake is the Spechtensee Hut, a mountain hut belonging to the Austrian Alpine Club and there is a circular walk around the lakeside.^[3]

Flora and Fauna

On the eastern side of the lake is a fen that transitions via a quaking bog (Schwingrasen) into the open waters of the lake. There is another important quaking bog on the western lakeshore. The White Water-lily flourishes in the southern part of the lake and Signal Crayfish are bred here.^[1] Fish species occurring in the Spechtensee include the Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout as well as Tench, Rudd, Roach, Chub and Pike.^[4]

Geology

The lake is located amongst Würm Ice Age moraines that seal the bottom of the lake and have created the depression for the lake with their embankments.^[1] In addition around the lake are conglomerates of the mainly Late Cretaceous Gosau Formation.^[5]

References

1. Martin Magnes: Spechtensee at www.kfunigraz.ac.at. Accessed on 1 August 2009.
2. Information board at the lake.
3. Geographische Lage des Spechtensees at www.geomix.at. Accessed on 25 Dec 2010
4. Angeln im Spechtensee at steiermark.anglerinfo.at. Accessed on 1 August 2009.
5. Geofast - Provisorische Geologische Karte der Republik Österreich 1:50.000, Sheet 98, Liezen, Federal Geological Office, as at October 2001.

External links