Project Replenishes Mythological Greek Lake

A legendary Greek lake, dead since the 1960s, is making a comeback. A new project will restore Lake Karla in central Greece to provide water for the agriculture-dependent Thessaly Plain, the Kathimerini newspaper reported Wednesday.

The ambitious project will refill the lake — considered the marriage place of the ancient Greek god Apollo — with 135 million cubic meters of water from a nearby floodwater reservoir. About 20 million cubic meters have already been transferred to the lake, which will irrigate a region of intensive farming in northern Greece after the project’s completion in March 2010.

Once a hub for a unique fishing culture, Lake Karla was drained in 1962 in order to open up space for agriculture in the area and protect surrounding farmlands from flooding. The drainage project had significant environmental impacts, including soil erosion, groundwater depletion and wildlife loss. Widespread illegal wells in the region have added to the stress on groundwater levels.

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Source: Kathimerini