Kovada Lake National Park (Isparta) |
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Kovada Lake is the result of the overflowing of lake Egridir. Between both lakes and all around the Kovada lake can be seen Karstic patterns, with these and as a result of chemical changes within the limestone, sink holes which swallow up the water appear. In the ground between Egridir and Kovada lakes the waters of the lower Egridir lake used to flood, while the sinkholes east and especially west of the alluvial plain stretching north-west absorbed the water. Finally DSI deepened the bed of the lake's outlet and the formerly frequent flooding ceased. As a result the water from lake Egridir passing into a deepening canal flows regularly. When Kovada I hydroelectric power station was installed, the water was taken from Kovada lake. A canal from Egridir lake brought out. Subsequently the system was changed and now with a small regulator on the canal carrying the water from Egridir lake, some water is left in the lake. This needs to be regularly checked and measures taken to prevent a big drop in the water level, whereas in mid-September 1984 the water level of Kovada lake had dropped by 4-5 metres and the hundreds of plane trees surrounding the the lake had dried up. The sink holes situated on the shores of Kovada lake and particularly south of the lake in the district of Denizalti naturally kept the lakes at a stable level. During flooding most of the sinkholes are reactivated and prevent the Kovada lake from rising, in any case this is why the Kovada lake could not be used as a reservoir and because of this, without putting any strain on the hydrologic functioning, too much water should not be drawn from the water leaving the lake. The best way of checking it would be as formerly, to draw it into a closed lake and to make do with the amount of water coming out from it as thanks to the balance of nature lake Kovada was named a national park. Otherwise with the water level dropping by 4-5 metres the vegetation will be affected and take shore will be denuded. The surplus water running into the lake should be directed to the sinkholes. The sinkholes in the Denizalti district are now 100-150 m below ground level. The waters of the lake's southern sinkholes flow underground for a distance of 5-6 km south into the Gokpinar karstic spring which bursts its banks. As soon as possible the Gokpinar springs with an output of 3 m3/sec should be supplemented partly by the Kovada lakeside sinkholes and partly from the small underground streams flowing from another direction from inside the limestone massif. Erection of the Kovada I hydroelectric power station announced in 1951, was opened to operation in 1960 and was constructed by the General Directorate of the Iller Bank.* |