Hydrology and Hydrography
Braslav Lakeland is the biggest lake region of Belarus that is located on the territory of Braslav, Myory, Sharkawshchyna districts. There are 267 large and small lakes. The territory of Braslav Lakeland is drained by more than 20 rivers and smaller influxes. The biggest rivers are Daugava, Dysna, Drujka, Yanka, Dryswiata.
Within the boundaries of the National park there are 74 lakes covering totally 12 590 hectares, which is approximately 17% of its territory.
Among the lakes of the national park there are several groups: in the north – Obabje group, in the central part – Braslav group, in the south – Bogino group.
The Obabje group includes small and beautiful forest lakes. These include: Obabje, Big and Small Elna, Bertse, Dubrok, Medvedno, Voity, etc.
The Bogino group includes lakes Boginskoe, Dolgoe, Vysokoe, Albenovskoe, Zagornoe, etc. Lake Boginskoe holds the main place in the group covering 13 square km. The lake is famous among tourists and local population for its picturesque coasts, outlandish form of the hollow, cozy islands, clean water. The water mirror spreads from the north-west to south-east for 9,1 km. The lake belongs to the group of the middle-deep lakes. Its maximum depth is 15 m., the average – 4,7 m. On the lake there are 8 islands. Lake Boginskoe is plentiful with fish.
The Braslav lakes group is one of the biggest group not only in the region but also in Belarus. It includes more than 30 lakes. All lakes of the group have a hydrological connection with river Drujka. This group includes the biggest lakes of Braslav region: lake Drivyaty, Nespish, Nedrovo, Potech, Voiso, Strusty, Snudy, Voloso Severny and Voloso Yzhny.
Lake Drivyaty is the biggest lake of the region (36 square km.). the maximum depth is 12 m., the average – 6 m. Lake Snudy is the second largest lake among the Braslav lake group (22 square km.). There are 11 islands with the total area of 1,6 square km. The largest ones are Turmos, Krasnogorka, Lakino, Lipovets. The maximal depth is 16,5 in the south-east. There are 21 fish species in the lake: pike, perch, tench, eel, roach etc. Last years grass carp and silver crucian appeared in the lake.
Lake Strusto is in the central place of Braslav lake group with the total area of 13 square km. It is connected by a wide channel with lake Snudy in the north, with Voloso, Voiso and Elno in the south. There are 7 islands in the lake, the largest of them are Chaichin, Shova, Elna. Chaichin island with the total square of 1,6 square km. is the second largest island of the Republic of Belarus. The lake inside the island it is the only internal lake in Belarus. Also the island has its growing Karelian birches that are pretty rare for the local areas. Ichthyofauna of the lake is represented by 22 fish species. There are vendace, snetok, whitefish, roach, ide, tench etc.
In Braslav group there are famous lakes Severny Voloso and Uznoe Voloso, which by the significance of their biological diversity appears to be the unique lake system not only in Belarus but also in Europe. The maximum depth of lake Uzhnoe Voloso is 40,4 m., water transparency is up to 7-8 meters in summer and 11 meters in winter. This lake is the only one in Belarus with the whole range of glacier relict crayfish species and the only lake where relict mysida inhabits (crayfish – 1-1,5 sm.). The unique life cycle of this species was discovered here for the first time in the world practice, that wasn’t described before. In lakes Uzhnoe y Severnoy Voloso there is a broad crayfish which was registered in the Red Book of the Republic of Belarus alongside with the glacier relicts existing here.
The lakes of the National Park are good for swimming and diving, canoe sport, boat rowing and amateur fishing. Lake landscapes is the visit card of the Braslav Lakeland!
