Lac de Gaschet
Lac de Gaschet ('Gaschet Lake') or Barrage de Gaschet ('Gaschet Dam') is an artificial reservoir that forms the largest freshwater lake in Guadeloupe.
Located within the Port-Louis municipality, on the northern side of the Grande-Terre island, and adjacent to Petit-Canal municipality, the lake is known for its rich diversity of bird-life.[1]
History
The Lake was constructed in the early 1990s as part of an irrigation project to support local agriculture. It comes under the responsibility of the Guadeloupe Departmental Council [fr].
Geography
The Lake is approximately 4 km from the coast. It has several 'branches', of which one is crossed by the local road, D128. At its longest point it is approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) long, and has a surface area of about 100 ha. The dam which holds the water back, situated at the south-western end of the lake, is approximately 100 m long.
Birdlife
The Lake is home to many water birds.[2] Particularly numerous are masked ducks, pied-billed grebes and common moorhens. In 2000 the site was formally recognised as a natural zone of ecological interest, fauna and flora (ZNIEFF) and protected by fences, though some illegal shooting occurs. A 290 ha area, encompassing the lake and its immediate surrounds, has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.[3]
References
- ^ "BirdLife IBA Factsheet: GP004 Barrage de Gaschet" (in French). BirdLife International, Cambridge, England. 2010. Archived from the original on 3 July 2015. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
- ^ Anthony Levesque; Alain Mathurin. "Important Bird Areas in the Caribbean – Guadeloupe". BirdLife International, Cambridge, England. Retrieved 2 July 2015.[dead link]
- ^ "Gaschet Dam". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
