Codole Reservoir Explained

Codole Reservoir
Location:Corsica
Coords:42.5867°N 8.9464°W
Type:Reservoir
Basin Countries:France
Area:80ha
Elevation:108m (354feet)
Pushpin Map:Corsica#France
Pushpin Label Position:top

Codole Reservoir (French: '''Réservoir de Codole''', '''Lac de Codole''') is a reservoir in the Haute-Corse department of France, on the island of Corsica. It supplies water for drinking and irrigation. The reservoir and its immediate surroundings are important as a biotope that offers habitat for many species of birds, reptiles and amphibians

Location

The Codole Reservoir is formed by the Barrage de Codole, which dams the Fiume di Regino, a coastal river.The reservoir is to the south of L'Île-Rousse on the Mediterranean coast.The dam at the eastern end of the reservoir is in the commune of Speloncato.The southwest of the reservoir is in the commune of Feliceto, and the northwest of the reservoir is in the commune of Santa-Reparata-di-Balagna.The D113 road runs along the south shore.

Watershed

The reservoir is mainly fed by the Reginu river, which rises at in San Parteo, Feliceto, and has its mouth on the sea in Lozari, Belgodère.There are about of streams in the Reginu watershed, which covers more than .The reservoir is supplied by a watershed of .

The Reginu valley has a Mediterranean climate, with little rain in the summer.It regularly has strong west or southwest winds.The landscape includes pastures, cultivated olive, almond and citrus groves, and abandoned scrub and forest.Vegetation includes heather (Erica arborea), Arbutus unedo, oak forests (Quercus ilex, Quercus suber and some Quercus pubescens), lavender (Lavandula stoechas), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Genista corsica and many Cistus species.

Dam

The Codole dam (French: Barrage de Codole) was built in the early 1980s by the Société de Développement Agricole de la Corse (SOMIVAC) to supply water to the eastern part of the Balagne for drinking and irrigation.It was commissioned in 1984.It is a rockfill dam with a height of and crest length of .The crest elevation is .It contains of water.In 1992 the Office d'Equipement Hydraulique de Corse (OEHC) took over management of water resources from SOMIVAC.

Lake

The perimeter of the lake is, with width and length of and an area of .With a capacity of the reservoir is the second largest of ten on the island, apart from the Électricité de France dams.It is the largest body of water on the west coast.The reservoir is full from January to May, gradually empties from June to October and then refills in November and December.Every ten years it is drained completely.When fully filled the average depth is and maximum depth is .

Ecology

The lake is of high biological importance.Its IUCN protection status is IV - Habitat or species management area, and V - Protected land or seascape.It is eutrophic or hypertrophic, with a high nutrient content that favors a strong presence of cyanobacteria in the phytoplankton population.The biotope offers habitat for many species of birds, reptiles and amphibians.European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) have been observed, and in 1999, an invasive turtle, the red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans was also discovered at the site.In 1994 the Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels de Corse (CEN-Corse) and OEHC agreed to improve conditions for birds using the lake for wintering or as a stopover during migration.Actions included planting vegetation on the banks and placing artificial nests.

Flora include:

Mammals include:

Birds include:

Reptiles include:

Amphibians include:

Fish include: