Lagoa da Pedreira (English: Quarry Lake), also known simply as Pedreira or Lagoa da Póvoa de Varzim is a small lake in the city of

Póvoa de Varzim Póvoa de Varzim (, ) is a Portugal, Portuguese city in Norte Region, Portugal, Northern Portugal and sub-region of Greater Porto, from its city centre. It sits in a sandy coastal plain, a cuspate foreland, halfway between the Minho River, Minho ...

, Portugal.Lago da Povoa (Póvoa de Varzim (Portugal))

Wikimapia Wikimapia is a geographic online encyclopedia project. The project implements an interactive "clickable" web map that utilizes Google Maps with a geographically-referenced wiki system, with the aim to mark and describe all geographical objects ...

Geography

Pedreira is a small lake that exists since late 20th century as an unavoidable casualty, despite being the work of man. The site was a quarry used to extract granite to the build the breakwaters of the

port of Póvoa de Varzim The Port of Póvoa de Varzim is a seaport built in Enseada da Póvoa Bay in the city of Póvoa de Varzim in Portugal. During the Middle Ages, it was known as Port of Varzim (''Porto de Veracim'' in Old Portuguese). Once used for trade and shipbu ...

in the 1930s. "Lagoa", in Portuguese, is used to refer to small freshwater lakes and saltwater lagoons. With the exaction of the stone, an

aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials ( gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characteris ...

was reached and groundwater kept entering the quarry. When the quarry was eventually shutdown in late 20th century, the water was left free to fill the quarry's basin. Due to the 2004/2005 drought, use of its water for irrigation, and to fill the landscaped lake of Póvoa de Varzim City Park, the water level declined sharply. Pedreira is L-shaped and all of the lake is surrounded by granitic cliffs, excepting by the west and in the southeastern tip. It has a small islet located near the cliffs.

Fauna

In common with its creation, the aquatic fauna which lives in the lake, is the work of man and casualty, such as aquarium dumping. The lake's first aquatic inhabitants were native amphibians, but currently

freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of ...

, red swamp crawfish and

turtle Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a special shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked t ...

s thrive in the lake. It is also used as a stop by native migratory birds.

City park plan

Póvoa de Varzim City Hall plans to use the lake for the west expansion area of the City Park of Póvoa de Varzim. The project was delivered to the

Technical University of Lisbon The Technical University of Lisbon (UTL; pt, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, ) was a Portuguese public university. It was created in 1930 in Lisbon, as a confederation of preexisting schools, and comprised the faculties and institutes of vete ...

, in a project led by Sidónio Pardal, the most notable landscape architect in Portugal. The plan includes its use for recreational boating, basin cleaning and cliff excavation in a staircase-shape, which according to the city hall, it will reduce hazards.

References

{{Póvoa de Varzim Geography of Póvoa de Varzim Pedreira