Shatsk National Natural Park

About

The Shatsk National Natural Park (Ukrainian: Шацький національний природний парк) is a national park of Ukraine which was established in 1983 and aimed to preserve, reconstitute and to use effectively Volyn Polissia natural complexes and objects of special environmental, recreational, educational and aesthetic value. The park is located on the territory of Kovel Raion in northwest part of Volyn Oblast. The general area of the park is 490 square kilometres (190 sq mi), 188 km2 (73 sq mi) of which are handed over for its permanent use. Lesia Ukrainka Volyn State University is a scientific curator. Two ecological paths, Svitiazianka and Lisova Pisnia, are working in the Shatsk NNP.

The Shatskyi Lakes group is one of the biggest in Europe. On its territory there are more than thirty lakes of varying sizes. Their total area is almost 70 square kilometers. They constitute one of the biggest European groupings of lakes. Among them is Svitiaz, the deepest lake in Ukraine, with an area of 28 square kilometers and a depth of 58 metres (190 ft). The water reserve is 310 million cubic meters; 180.8 million cubic meters of them are kept in Svitiaz.

The majority of lakes are joined to each other by soil-reclamation canals of Soviet or earlier times, or natural channels. [ citation needed ]

As long as the main European watershed goes through Shatsk Region, surplus water from them periodically replenishes basins of the Baltic and the Black seas via the Bug and the Vistula, the Prypiat and the Dnieper rivers accordingly.

Forests occupy 52.5% of general park area, grasslands 7.3%, marshes 2.8%, and water reservoirs 14.2%. The rest of the area is taken by farms and roads.

According to the Ramsar Water and Moor Protection agreement, the Shats'k lakes' lands which are situated between the Prypiat and the western Bug are considered to be one of the most important areas in Ukraine. In this territory, migrating birds can find places for their reproduction as well as food and rest on their way from the north to warmer countries.

The SNNP, together with the local administration, manage the main nature protection tasks. Due to these achievements, the park was included in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (as West Polesie Transboundary Biosphere Reserve ) within the frameworks of the UNESCO " Man and the Biosphere Programme " on April 30, 2002. By this act, the Shats'k lakes were referred to as some of the most precious complexes of the Earth. In Ukraine, Svitiaz Lake is considered to be one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Ukraine.

Svitiaz Lake is of karst origin; it was formed due to progradation of chalk rocks and subsequent huge cenotes. Nowadays the length of the lake is 9.3 km, its width is 4.8 km, and its surface is more than 27 square kilometers. The lake is fed by either artesian springs or precipitation.

Water in Svitiaz is extremely transparent (in sunny weather a submerged white circle is visible to a depth of 8 m), clean and soft. It is determined that it is rich in silver ions and glycerol.

Along the lakeside, especially in the area of the tract "Hriada" and hotel "Shatski Lakes", Svitiaz is mostly shallow and on sunny days warms up quickly. On a clean sandy bottom one can go a half or even two hundred meters until the water reaches the chest of an adult man. However, the depth of two meters has an area of 1.2 square kilometers, up to three meters – 7.2, up to five meters – 10.6, to ten meters – 4.2, more than ten – 5.3 square kilometers.

Therefore, Svitiaz is mainly a very deep lake. Yetclose to "Hriada", referred to as "shallow" above, there are underwater pits: Vovcha 20 m, Ohriadna 15 m, Kamin 14 m, and Verteneva 17 me. The maximum depth of the lake is 58.4 m, and the average depth is 7 m.

The lake has an island near the deepest place in Svitiaz – the Holodnetska cavity (58.4 m). A legend tells that all the Polissia used to be a sea with whales. When the sea dried out and only the deepest places remained, it became Svitiaz now and its whale became an island.

At the beginning of 1970, several European rabbits were settled there as an experiment. In a short time they quickly multiplied and practically destroyed all vegetation. They did not pose a threat only to the highest island trees – giant poplars which had very rough bark. In order to save the island, foresters had to kill them.

The island is one of the few places in Ukraine where Epidalea calamita toads live. There is also mass bird nesting, many species of which are rare. During nesting, visiting the island is prohibited.

In Svitiaz and other lakes of the park, the use of motor boats that may pollute water with fuel or oils is prohibited.

is of karst origin; it was formed due to progradation of chalk rocks and subsequent huge cenotes. Nowadays the length of the lake is 9.3 km, its width is 4.8 km, and its surface is more than 27 square kilometers. The lake is fed by either artesian springs or precipitation.

Water in Svitiaz is extremely transparent (in sunny weather a submerged white circle is visible to a depth of 8 m), clean and soft. It is determined that it is rich in silver ions and glycerol.

Along the lakeside, especially in the area of the tract "Hriada" and hotel "Shatski Lakes", Svitiaz is mostly shallow and on sunny days warms up quickly. On a clean sandy bottom one can go a half or even two hundred meters until the water reaches the chest of an adult man. However, the depth of two meters has an area of 1.2 square kilometers, up to three meters – 7.2, up to five meters – 10.6, to ten meters – 4.2, more than ten – 5.3 square kilometers.

Therefore, Svitiaz is mainly a very deep lake. Yetclose to "Hriada", referred to as "shallow" above, there are underwater pits: Vovcha 20 m, Ohriadna 15 m, Kamin 14 m, and Verteneva 17 me. The maximum depth of the lake is 58.4 m, and the average depth is 7 m.

The lake has an island near the deepest place in Svitiaz – the Holodnetska cavity (58.4 m). A legend tells that all the Polissia used to be a sea with whales. When the sea dried out and only the deepest places remained, it became Svitiaz now and its whale became an island.