Lake Annone is located in the northern part of Brianza, at the mouth of Magrera Valley, west of the city of Lecco. It's the easternmost and the largest of the five lakes in Brianza. It is part of the municipalities of Annone of Brianza, Suello, Civate, Galbiate and Oggiono.
It's the twentieth Italian lake with about 5.71 km2. It's located at an altitude of 224 m. above sea level. It has a perimeter of 15.4 kilometers.
Lake of Annone is divided into two basins by the close of Isella peninsula that penetrates the lake for almost a kilometer. In this point the lake is about two meters deep. The west basin has an average depth of 4 meters and a maximum of 10.1. The eastern basin has an average depth of 6.3 m and a maximum depth of 11.3m.
In the waters of the lake are reflected two important pre-alpine heights: the Cornizzolo (1240 m. above sea level) to the north and Mount Barro (922 m. above sea level) to the northeast, while in the south, the basin is surrounded by the rolling hills East Brianza that degrade in the Milanese plain.
The origin of the Brianza lakes dates back to the Quaternary period, or about 70,000 years ago, when imposing glacial formations retreated leaving depressions that over time filled with water to form the existing ponds of water. The moraine hills surrounding these lakes are formed from materials and debris that were first transported by ice, and then, with their withdrawal, abandoned in large quantities. We can say that these types of moraine-dammed lake tend to fade with time due to erosion of the basin threshold (the lowest point of the edge of the basin) from the effluent or to fill.
This second case is caused silting of the lake to enter alluvial materials that reduce the size up to turn it into the pond, then into the swamp and finally bog and grassland. It's powered by some underground aquifers and some streams. The tributaries of the basin east are Cologna, the Bondi, the Rossa, the Laghetto, the Bombolo, the Bosisolo, the Sabina and the influx of the west basin. The tributaries of the western basin are the Pescone, the Calchirola, the Pramaggiore and Borima.
The only outlet is the Rio Torto, which flows into Adda river and therefore belongs to the catchment area of the Po river. The influx of water in the Rio Torto is regulated by a bulkhead which is operated in the event of heavy rains or a period dry.
The flora and vegetation of Annone lake are those characteristics of the lacustrine and marsh areas of the moraine foothills. A botanical study reported here for the first time seven species considered absent from the Lombardy region and about 70 rare species. The particular humid microclimate of the areas immediately next to the lake also allows the presence of some plants that are normally characteristic of higher altitudes.
But only in some parts of the shores it can be seen integrates the typical succession of natural vegetation characteristic of these surroundings, where they are not affected by repeated and often senseless human intervention. More externally meet in blue mist wet meadows, shrub groupings of black alder and a reed band (bog with typical herbaceous plants) in sedge high.
In the western part of the basin there are still some peaty meadows with cinnamon peatlands (perennial herb); in other parts of the shores of recent mud, instead there are flaps pioneer vegetation to sedge black and gold tiger nuts. In these wet environments it has also been reported the presence of carnivorous plant Utricularia vulgaris, but the vegetation zone most characteristic of wetlands is the reeds in marsh reed and cattail, which is expressed with greater power in the Isella area (Annone lake eastern basin) and Pescone (west) basin. Among the submerged aquatic plants and floating leaf that settle in the shallower water you can remember the millefeuille of water, white water lily, the nannufaro yellow.
Around the waters and in the reeds they are home to many species of animals. In particular in the reeds at lake it was reported a wide variety of insects, including rare species. Among the amphibians we can mention the Italian frog of Lataste, endemic to the Po river-Venetian plain; among reptiles worth mentioning the Natrix, a water snake. Particularly there are many species of water-marsh birds, such as the Great Crested Grebe, the little grebe, the Mallard, the Moorhen, the Water Rail, the Marsh, the Warbler, the Cetti's Warbler, the Reed Bunting, the Kingfisher, Little Bittern, the Night Heron and the beautiful Purple Heron.
But the "simple" description fails to give the idea of the views and colors. We have to approach it and live it more to enjoy its beauty and to relive its beautiful nature.
originally publisched by: comune Annone di Brianza - Lecco.
photo: commons.wikimedia