Lake Idro Explained

Lake Idro
Lago d'Idro
Location:Province of Brescia and Trentino, Northern Italy
Coords:45.78°N 10.51°W
Pushpin Map:Italy Trentino-South Tyrol
Inflow:Chiese, Caffaro, Re di Anfo
Outflow:Chiese
Catchment:617km2
Basin Countries:Italy
Length:11km (07miles)
Width:1.9km (01.2miles)
Area:11.4km2
Max-Depth:122m (400feet)
Volume:335hm3
Shore:24km (15miles)
Elevation:368m (1,207feet)
Cities:Bondone, Idro, Anfo, Bagolino

Lake Idro (Italian: Lago d'Idro, also Eridio from Latin: Eridius lacus, Lac d'Ider, German: Idrosee) is an Italian prealpine lake of glacial origin situated largely within the Province of Brescia (Lombardy) and in part in Trentino.

At 368 m above sea level it is the highest of the Lombard prealpine lakes. The lake is fed principally by the waters of the river Chiese; that river is also its only emissary. It has a surface area of 11.4 km2 and a maximum depth of 122 m.

The lake is surrounded by wooded mountains. The shoreline of some 24 km is shared across four communes: Idro (the frazioni Crone and Lemprato), from which the lake takes its name, Anfo, Bagolino (fraz. Ponte Caffaro) and Bondone (fraz. Baitoni).

Lake Idro currently faces severe problems of eutrophication resulting from the absence of adequate sewerage systems and the use of its feed-waters for irrigation and the generation of hydropower: it has become a site of conflict between environmental, agricultural and electricity industry interests.

The name derives from a legendary monster (Idra) who supposedly lived there

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