Geography and hydrography Lake Sapsho

1 geography , hydrography

1.1 lake
1.2 rivers
1.3 islands

geography , hydrography
the lake

the bottom of lake sapsho

lake sapsho situated in north-west of smolensk oblast, 120 km (75 mi) north of smolensk. on sloboda upland (russian: Слободская возвышенность) part of smolensk–moscow upland (russian: Смоленско-Московская возвышенность). largest lake in smolenskoye poozerye national park. there 2 eskers. 1 of them partly destroyed glacial flows. caused arising of 5 of 6 islands. lake sapsho divided deep northern , shallow southern parts. other esker forms western border of lake. northern side abrupt. on contrary, eastern , southern sides gentle. bottom of lake here not steep. northern basin divided western , eastern parts long underwater spit. depth here less 5 m (16 ft). ends long shoal depth less 1 m (3 ft 3 in), so-called underwater island or sitnik .

lake sapsho drains rivers of western dvina (russian: Западная Двина) basin. in spring, middle or end of april, water volume increases because of melting snow. melting of ice on lake takes 10 15 days more, , ends in late april or may. swimming season opens in late june or july, , finishes in late july or august. lake covers ice in 2nd or 3rd decade of november. sometimes, happens in middle of december. thickness of ice 50 cm (20 in) 70 cm (28 in). in severe winters may become 90 cm (35 in). period of freeze-up 150 170 days.

surface elevation of lake petrakovskoye , lake sapsho


the rivers

inflow rivers sapshanka (russian: Сапшанка) in south , sapsha (russian: Сапша) in west. outflow river sapsha in east. sapsha connects lake sapsho , lake petrakovskoye (russian: Петраковское). both lakes have similar surface elevation. area of lake petrakovskoye 0.17 km (0.066 sq mi). during period of melting snow in spring , heavy showers in summer lake petrakovskoye fills water faster lake sapsho. therefore, sapsha changes flow. changing of flow of sapsha happens several times year.

lake sapsho , lake petrakovskoye on map of przhevalskoye


the islands

there 6 islands on lake. 4 of them large: chernetsky / monk island (russian: Чернецкий), raspashnoy / border island (russian: Распашной), bagryany / crimson island (russian: Багряный), dlinny / long island (russian: Длинный). 2 of them small: dubovy / oak island (russian: Дубовый) , lyubvi / island of love (russian: Любви). 5 of them located in line along 1 of 2 eskers.

at lake sapsho in winter