Vlasina Lake

Vlasina Lake
Location	Southeast Serbia
Coordinates	42°42′N 22°20′E / 42.700°N 22.333°E / 42.700; 22.333Coordinates: 42°42′N 22°20′E / 42.700°N 22.333°E / 42.700; 22.333
Type	reservoir
Primary outflows	Vlasina River
Basin countries	Serbia
Max. length	10.5 km (6.5 mi)
Max. width	3.5 km (2.2 mi)
Surface area	16 km2 (6.2 sq mi)
Average depth	10.3 m (34 ft)
Max. depth	34 m (112 ft)
Water volume	0.165 km3 (134,000 acre·ft)
Surface elevation	1,211 m (3,973 ft)
Frozen	Occasionally
Islands	2 permanent

Vlasina Lake (Serbian: Власинско језеро, Vlasinsko jezero) is a semi-artificial lake in Southeast Serbia. Lying at an altitude of 1,211 metres (3,973 ft), with an area of 16 square kilometres (6.2 sq mi), it is the highest and largest artificial lake in Serbia. It was created in 1947–51 when the peat bog Vlasinsko blato (Vlasina mud) was closed off by a dam and submerged by the waters of incoming rivers, chiefly the Vlasina.

The lake lies at 42°42′N 22°20′E / 42.700°N 22.333°E / 42.700; 22.333 on a plateau called Vlasina in the municipalities of Surdulica and Crna Trava. The plateau is surrounded by the mountains of Čemernik, Vardenik and Gramada. The lake runs North-South for a length of about 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) and has a maximum width of approximately 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi). Its average depth is 10.5 metres (34 ft) and its maximum depth is 34 metres (112 ft), near the dam.

The central part of the lake is wide and 10 and 15 metres (33 and 49 ft) deep. Its eastern coastline is jagged, with two bays: larger Biljanina bara and smaller Murin zaliv separated by Taraija peninsula. The southern part of the island, between Bratanov del peninsula and the mouth of Božićki kanal is shallower (2 to 6 metres or 6.6 to 19.7 feet), with swampy coasts and peat.

The dam is located in the northwestern part of the lake. It is an embankment dam, built of a concrete core with an earth-filled cover. Construction ran from 1946 to 1948, when the reservoir was first filled. It is 239 metres (784 ft) long, 139 metres (456 ft) wide at the base and 5.5 metres (18 ft) at the top, and 34 metres (112 ft) high (of which 25.7 metres or 84 feet is above the ground). The reservoir it creates has a volume of around 1.65 cubic kilometres (0.40 cu mi). Of these, 1.05 cubic kilometres (0.25 cu mi) is usable for hydroelectric exploitation. The system of 4 hydroelectric plants called Vrla (I-IV) lies downstream of the lake, on the Vrla River, with a total capacity of 125 megawatt-hours (450 GJ). A part of the hydroelectric system is the pump station "Lisina", which pumps in water from the nearby Lisina Lake, chiefly in summer months. Vlasina Lake is also fed by numerous streams, descending from the surrounding mountains. The water level varies, depending on the water influx and drainage of the dam. Two artificial canals enter the lake near the dam: Čemernički kanal from the west and Strvna from east.

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Wikipedia