Limnological study on a newly built drinking water reservoir near Tirana, Albania

• Published in: Environmental monitoring and assessment 2011-11, Vol.182 (1-4), p.215-232
• Main Authors: Çullaj, Alqiviadh, Duka, Sonila, Emiri, Artan, Koni, Erlinda, Miho, Aleko, Murtaj, Bledar, Shumka, Spase, Bachofen, Reinhard, Schanz, Ferdinand, Brandl, Helmut
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Airports; Albania; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Dams; Drinking water; Drinking Water - chemistry; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecology; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Management; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental quality; Environmental testing; Exact sciences and technology; Fresh water ecosystems; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydrography; Hydrology; Hydrology. Hydrogeology; Hypolimnion; Lakes; Lakes - chemistry; Limnology; Microalgae - classification; Microalgae - growth & development; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nutrient concentrations; Oxygen depletion; Precipitation; Reservoirs; Rivers; Seasons; Species diversity; Studies; Synecology; Water Pollutants - analysis; Water resources; Water shortages; Water supply; Water treatment plants
• ISSN: 0167-6369; 1573-2959
• DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1871-z

Bovilla Lake is a reservoir constructed 12 years ago for supplying the city of Tirana (Albania) mainly with drinking water. It has a surface area of 4.6 km 2 , a maximum depth of originally 60 m and is monomictic with a stratification period from early spring to end of October. The lake is oligotrophic with low nutrient concentrations (e.g. SRP in spring about 8 μg L  − 1 ) and minor oxygen depletion in the hypolimnion during thermal stagnation. The lake is highly turbid due to severe particle import by several rivers during rain periods. This led to a massive deposition of sediments, lifting the maximum depth to 45 m in 2008. Furthermore, the photic zone reached hardly more than 10 m. Algal species diversity is high; however, diatoms from the genus Cyclotella dominate most of the year both in numbers and biomass. Our study describes for the first time the hydrography and limnology of the Bovilla Reservoir.