Lago di Ledro is a
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much lar ...
in
Trentino
Trentino ( lld, Trentin), officially the Autonomous Province of Trento, is an autonomous province of Italy, in the country's far north. The Trentino and South Tyrol constitute the region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, an autonomous regio ...
, northern
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. The lake is at an elevation of , and its surface area is .
Lake Ledro is reputed to be one of the cleanest lakes in Trentino, and during the summer it reaches a temperature of , attracting tourists with its four beaches.
In 2009 and 2011 the lake suffered from
algal blooms, caused by
Planktothrix.
History

Lake Ledro originates from the deposition of a
morainal bank during the fourth glacial era. Since 1929, the lake level has been regulated to suit the energy requirements of the
hydroelectric power station
A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid.
Many p ...
of
Riva del Garda, which uses the water of the lake to produce electricity on a
pumped-storage basis.
The Lake's water sources are mainly underneath the lake. There are also tributaries (Massangla
Torrente Massangla
''openstreetmap.org'', accessed 4 May 2019 (at the West end of the lake, joined by the Torrente Assat of Pieve), Assat of Pur (from the South, at the East end of the lake), and Rio di Val Molini (at the Northern corner at the West end of the lake)), although these are dry for most of the year.
At Lake Ledro is the site of an archaeological area with an associated museum and botanical garden
A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...
situated on the River Ponale
The Ponale is a river originating in Lake Ledro (Lago di Ledro) in Trentino, Northern Italy.
The river first passes Molina di Ledro, Prè di Ledro and Biacesa, there feeding a fish farm. Starting from Biacesa the Ponale enters a steep canyon, a ...
flowing out of the lake to the east. The area was discovered in the 1920s when the level of the lake was lowered to supply the hydroelectric plant being built at Riva del Garda. This archaeological site is one of the most important in Europe for evidencing the extent and wealth of the manufactures of its time.
References
Lago di Ledro Environment
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ledro
Lakes of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Garda Mountains