Doiran Lake (, Dojransko Ezero; , Límni Dhoïráni), also spelled Dojran Lake
To the west is the city of Nov Dojran (Нов Дојран), to the east the village of Mouries, to the north the mountain Belasica and to the south the Greek town of Doirani. The lake has a rounded shape, a maximum depth of and a north-to-south length of and is at its widest, making it the third largest lake partially in North Macedonia after Lake Ohrid and Lake Prespa.
History
The lake was on the southern line of the Macedonian front during World War I, and its southern shore became the site of the various battles between allied troops and
troops in 1916, 1917 and 1918. A
Doiran Memorial to one of the battles and two cemeteries for Greek and British troops stand on a hill a few hundred metres south of the lake. It was designed by Sir
Robert Lorimer.
[Dictionary of Scottish Architects: Robert Lorimer]
Ecology
The lake is shallow and
eutrophic, with extensive
Phragmites reedbeds.
[ Due to the overuse of the lake's water for agricultural purposes, Doiran's water nearly drained out, but the disaster was avoided after both countries took measures to replenish and sustain water levels. Frequent and heavy rainfall in later years helped restore water levels in the lake.
]
Important Bird Areas
North Macedonia's part of the lake has been designated an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports populations of , Dalmatian pelicans and .
External links
