Brabrand Lake () is a lake in the district of

Brabrand Brabrand () is a postal district of Aarhus Municipality, Denmark. South of Brabrand, in the Aarhus river-valley, is the largest recreational area of Aarhus Municipality, comprising the Brabrand Lake and the meadow-lake of Årslev, with surroundi ...

(Gellerup), west of

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

city,

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. The

Aarhus River Aarhus River () is a long river, in eastern Jutland, Denmark. The river flows through the large river valley of Aarhus Ådal. The valley itself, stretches from Silkeborg to the coastal city of Aarhus, but the Aarhus River only runs through the e ...

passes through Brabrand Lake and it is possible to

canoe A canoe is a lightweight, narrow watercraft, water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using paddles. In British English, the term ' ...

all the way to the inner city from here. The lake is oblong-shaped. Since 2003, Brabrand Lake has been steadily extended 3–4 km further west, with the new lake of Årslev Engsø (lit.: Årslev meadow-lake). In 2001–2, it was politically decided to abandon the artificial draining of the meadows and as of 2013, Årslev meadow lake has a surface area of around . The total area including adjoining meadows and

reed bed A reedbed or reed bed is a natural habitat found in floodplains, waterlogged depressions and estuaries. Reedbeds are part of a succession from young reeds colonising open water or wet ground through a gradation of increasingly dry ground. As ...

s totals . It is hoped that Eurasian bittern and

otter Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which includes weasels, badgers, mink, and wolverines, among ...

will find themselves a new home here with time. In everyday parlance, "Brabrand Lake" is a general term including the surroundings as well, indicating a total area of around with for the lake alone. A special Natura2000 protected area under the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

, Brabrand Lake is home to a large variety of birds and an important resting place for migrating birds, with several towers built to facilitate bird-watching. A public hiking trail surrounds the lake, whose landscape varies from wide meadows and reed beds to dense woods. Privately owned pastures almost completely surround the lake and are not publicly accessible, but public paths leading to the lake are scattered in between. There are several garden allotments ("kolonihaver" in Danish) near Brabrand Lake and it is a popular recreational spot. It is a statutory goal of the Aarhus municipality to make the area publicly accessible and attractive to the public.

Activities and sports

''Brabrandstien'' (lit.: the Brabrand pathway), which runs along the Aarhus river from the

inner city The term inner city (also called the hood) has been used, especially in the United States, as a euphemism for majority-minority lower-income residential districts that often refer to rundown neighborhoods, in a downtown or city centre area. Soc ...

and around both Brabrand Sø and Årslev Engsø, was established by the City Council in 1956 as a labor project for the unemployed, to give the public better access to green space. The pathway is c. 26 km long, with 9.5 km for Brabrand Lake alone. With the addition of Årslev Engsø, the pathway grew another 8 km. A large part of Brabrandstien is asphalted and is popular for

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

rollerskating Roller skating is the act of travelling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a recreational activity, a sport, and a form of transportation. Roller rinks and skate parks are built for roller skating, though it also takes place on streets, side ...

and

jogging Jogging is a form of trotting or running at a slow or leisurely pace. The main intention is to increase physical fitness with less stress on the body than from faster running but more than walking, or to maintain a steady speed for longer periods ...

. Some of the graveled western parts are used for horseback riding. Cars are not allowed and motor vehicles are restricted. Brabrandstien is part of the Aarhus-Silkeborg hiking trail. On the northern bank of Brabrand Lake lies the facilities of ''Brabrand Rostadion'' (Brabrand Rowing Stadium). The stadium was established in 1952 and was heavily renovated and rebuilt in the year 2010. C. F. Møller Architects was the architectural firm behind the new buildings. Local

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically a ...

and

kayak ] A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word ''kayak'' originates from the Inuktitut word '' qajaq'' (). In British English, the kayak is also considered to be ...

ing clubs have used the lake for practice and larger

regatta Boat racing is a sport in which boats, or other types of watercraft, race on water. Boat racing powered by oars is recorded as having occurred in ancient Egypt, and it is likely that people have engaged in races involving boats and other wa ...

s for many years. ''Rocenter Aarhus RCA'' (Aarhus Rowing Center) is located here, offering qualified training for rowers and clubs in East and South

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

on all levels (including elite) and for all ages. There is a 2,000 m racing track on Brabrand Lake and it is generally perceived as very good for

outrigger An outrigger is a projecting structure on a boat, with specific meaning depending on types of vessel. Outriggers may also refer to legs on a wheeled vehicle that are folded out when it needs stabilization, for example on a crane that lifts he ...

racing, but other types of boats are also rowed here, including

s. ''Aarhus Roklub'' (Aarhus Rowing Club), based here, have scored several prestigious medals. In 2005, Maria Pertl won silver in the

World Rowing Championships The World Rowing Championships is an international Rowing (sport), rowing regatta organized by International Rowing Federation, FISA (the International Rowing Federation). It is a week-long event held at the end of the northern hemisphere summer ...

in collaboration with Juliane Elander Rasmussen. In 2011, Andrej Lawaetz Bendtsen won gold at the WRC for seniors in a team of four.

Environmental projects

The lake is not very deep and has suffered from

eutrophication Eutrophication is a general term describing a process in which nutrients accumulate in a body of water, resulting in an increased growth of organisms that may deplete the oxygen in the water; ie. the process of too many plants growing on the s ...

for many years. The excessive nutrients originate from waste water and agricultural activities and pose a constant environmental threat to the surrounding ecology and the Bay of Aarhus. Eutrophication is a common problem all over the developed world. Starting in 1959 with 158 hectares, several environmental projects have aimed to alleviate the environmental burdens and at the same time maintain the aesthetic value of the lake and surrounding areas. These projects includes mud pumping of the lakebed and

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, of the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 350 species (plus numerous hybrids) of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions. Most species are known ...

afforestations. Also, the local water company ''Aarhus Vand A/S'' began extracting phosphor from wastewater in 2013 at a water treatment plant in Åby close to the lake.

Phosphor A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of luminescence; it emits light when exposed to some type of radiant energy. The term is used both for fluorescent or phosphorescent substances which glow on exposure to ultraviolet or ...

is a key element in the eutrophication process but a valuable resource on its own and the water treatment plant is among only a few in the world to engage with this. It is hoped that the rich fen ecology which formerly characterized the lake, and is a threatened nature-type in general, can be restored in the future. The groundwater beneath and adjoining Brabrand Lake is very important, as it provides drinking water to more than 100,000 people in the greater Aarhus area. Acting partly on this fact, the lake water was also included in a large water treatment project led by ''Aarhus Vand A/S'' from 2006 to 2013. The project involved the Brabrand Lake, the Aarhus River and the Aarhus harbour, budgeted at

€ The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...

45 million. As a result, the waters in Brabrand Lake and the Aarhus River attained bathing quality in September 2012.

Special flora and fauna

Many species of flora and fauna at Brabrand Lake are either rare or relatively rare in Denmark and on the Danish Red List (under

IUCN Red List The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological ...

). Some also are protected under different habitat directives of the EU. Here are a few examples: * Several

Lathyrus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 specie ...

species grow here, such as the tuberous pea, which is rare in Denmark, and the relatively rare marsh pea. * Several relatively rare rush species grow here, such as European hard rush, heath rush and slender rush. * Several orchids of the

Dactylorhiza ''Dactylorhiza'' is a genus of flowering plants in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Its species are commonly called marsh orchids or spotted orchids. ''Dactylorhiza'' were previously classified under ''Orchis'', which has two round tubers. Descrip ...

species are found growing here. Worthy of special mention is the common

western marsh orchid ''Dactylorhiza majalis'', or the broad-leaved marsh orchid, is a terrestrial Eurasian orchid. Subspecies include the western marsh orchid (''Dactylorhiza majalis'' subsp. ''occidentalis'') and southern marsh orchid (''Dactylorhiza majalis'' su ...

and the relatively rare early marsh orchid, both of which are protected and mentioned in the Danish Nature Protection Law ( §3) and the Washington Convention (list II.B). Although the ''w.m. orchid'' is one of the most common orchids in Denmark, it is also included due to alarming population decline. * The

white stork The white stork (''Ciconia ciconia'') is a large bird in the stork family, Ciconiidae. Its plumage is mainly white, with black on the bird's wings. Adults have long red legs and long pointed red beaks, and measure on average from beak tip to en ...

s occasionally resting here are critically endangered (CR) and relatively rare in Denmark. * The

common nightingale The common nightingale, rufous nightingale or simply nightingale (''Luscinia megarhynchos''), is a small passerine bird which is best known for its powerful and beautiful Bird vocalization, song. It was formerly classed as a member of the Thrush ...

living here is rare in Denmark. The thrush nightingale, common in Denmark, is also found at the lake. * Årslev Engsø regularly attracts rare birds such as

osprey The osprey (; ''Pandion haliaetus''), historically known as sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and a wingspan of . It ...

(CR),

white-tailed eagle The white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), sometimes known as the 'sea eagle', is a large bird of prey, widely distributed across temperate Eurasia. Like all eagles, it is a member of the family Accipitridae (or accipitrids) which also ...

(vulnerable VU),

peregrine falcon The peregrine falcon (''Falco peregrinus''), also known simply as the peregrine, is a Cosmopolitan distribution, cosmopolitan bird of prey (raptor) in the family (biology), family Falconidae renowned for its speed. A large, Corvus (genus), cro ...

(extinct as breeders RE),

little gull The little gull (''Hydrocoloeus minutus''), is a species of gull belonging to the family Laridae which is mainly found in the Palearctic with some small colonies in North America. It breeds on freshwater lakes and marshes, and spends winters at ...

(RE),

mediterranean gull The Mediterranean gull (''Ichthyaetus melanocephalus'') is a small gull. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. The genus ''Ichthyaetus'' is from ''ikhthus'', "fish", and ''aetos'', "eagle", and the specific ''melanocephalus'' is from ''mel ...

black tern The black tern (''Chlidonias niger'') is a small tern generally found in or near inland water that breeds in Europe, Palearctic, Western Asia and North America. In winter the birds migrate to coastal areas of Africa and South America. Taxonomy T ...

(endangered EN),

caspian tern The Caspian tern (''Hydroprogne caspia'') is a species of tern, with a subcosmopolitan but scattered distribution. Despite its extensive range, it is monotypic of its genus, and has no accepted subspecies. The genus name is from Ancient Greek '' ...

, spotted crake (near threatened NT),

broad-billed sandpiper The broad-billed sandpiper (''Calidris falcinellus'') is a small wader, wading bird. The scientific name is from Latin. The specific name ''falcinellus'' is from ''falx, falcis'', "a sickle." Some research suggests that it and some related spec ...

red-necked phalarope The red-necked phalarope (''Phalaropus lobatus''), also known as the northern phalarope and hyperborean phalarope, is a small wader. This phalarope breeds in the Arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. It is migratory, and, unusually for a ...

and water pipit. * The green hawker dragonflies are near threatened (NT) and rare in Denmark. They have been protected here under the EU habitat directive (IV) since 1992. * The population of pond bats living at Brabrand Lake is protected under the Natura 2000 Plan 233. Pond bats are endangered (EN) in western Europe, but maybe only near threatened on a global scale. Apart from these rarer species, the Brabrand Lake area is characterized by many common species living here, mostly birds, insects and aquatic plants.

Archaeological finds

The area around Brabrand Lake has been populated for at least 6,000 years. In prehistoric times, Brabrand Lake was part of a deep

brackish water Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estuary ...

fjord In physical geography, a fjord (also spelled fiord in New Zealand English; ) is a long, narrow sea inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Antarctica, the Arctic, and surrounding landmasses of the n ...

, offering natural protection and food in abundance. There were archaeological excavations here as early as 1903, revealing early

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

settlements and activities from the Ertebølle Culture. The Brabrand Lake area is still an active archaeological site today and has revealed

Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...

settlements and

Viking Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

activities such as a large shipbuilding yard. The Brabrand Fjord in the Stone Age (map)
Jyllands Posten (COWI, Uffe Rasmussen, Moesgård Museum)

Gallery

File:Brabrand Sø mod øst.jpg, Eastward view from a birdwatching tower. File:At Brabrand Lake.JPG, Brabrand Lake on a grey foggy day in December. File:Både ved Brabrand Sø.jpg, A berth. File:Fugletårnet (Sølyst).jpg, Birdwatching tower File:Tårnet.JPG, The observation tower at the rowing stadium. File:Brabrand Sø (maj) 02.jpg, Pasture meadows with grazing cattle. File:Summers eve at Årslev Engsø.jpg, View across the newly formed Årslev Engsø on a summer's eve. File:Path ahead.jpg, The graveled hiking trail south of Årslev Engsø. File:Sunset at the lake.jpg, Sunset, windy weather and rainclouds across the lake.

References

External links

Map of the lake area
{{Webarchive, url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://aarhus.dk/media/9766/aabrinken-brabrand-soe-aarslev-engsoe.pdf , date=2022-10-09 Aarhus Municipality
Danish Ornithological Association (DOF) on Brabrand-Årslev Lake
Geography of Aarhus Lakes of Jutland Wetlands of Denmark Special Areas of Conservation in Denmark