Pielinen ( sv, Pielisjärvi) is the fourth largest lake of

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

, with a drainage basin area of equally distributed between eastern Finland and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

. The creation of the lake and its outlet is attributed to a post-glacial

isostatic rebound Post-glacial rebound (also called isostatic rebound or crustal rebound) is the rise of land masses after the removal of the huge weight of ice sheets during the last glacial period, which had caused isostatic depression. Post-glacial rebound a ...

, which resulted in uplift of the land. As is common in

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

lakes, the lake's color is dark, due to the high proportion of bogs present in the catchment of the drainage basin that drains

humic Humic substances (HS) are organic compounds that are important components of humus, the major organic fraction of soil, peat, and coal (and also a constituent of many upland streams, dystrophic lakes, and ocean water). For a long era in the 19th an ...

substances. Pielinen Lake is in the northernmost part of

Finnish Karelia Karelia ( fi, Karjala) is a historical province of Finland which Finland partly ceded to the Soviet Union after the Winter War of 1939–40. The Finnish Karelians include the present-day inhabitants of North and South Karelia and the still-surv ...

in the region of

North Karelia North Karelia ( fi, Pohjois-Karjala; sv, Norra Karelen) is a region in eastern Finland. It borders the regions of Kainuu, North Savo, South Savo and South Karelia, as well as Russia's Republic of Karelia. It is the easternmost region of Finlan ...

. It is adjacent to

Koli National Park Koli National Park ( fi, Kolin kansallispuisto) is a national park in the municipalities of Joensuu, Lieksa and Kontiolahti in the North Karelia region of Finland. It covers of forested hills on the western shore of Lake Pielinen. The park wa ...

, known for its scenic beauty in summer, and winter

skiing Skiing is the use of skis to glide on snow. Variations of purpose include basic transport, a recreational activity, or a competitive winter sport. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IO ...

; and is near the

whitewater rafting Rafting and whitewater rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water. Dealing with risk is often a ...

centres at Ruunaa Hiking Center,

Lieksa Lieksa () is a town and municipality of Finland. It is located in the North Karelia region. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The population density is . The municipality is unilingually Finnish. ...

and

Nurmes Nurmes is a town and municipality of Finland, located in the county of North Karelia. The town has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The

The lake is located at an elevation of in the

region in eastern Finland. It has a water spread area of and a shore length of , and is bound within geographical coordinates of 62°54–63°33N and 29°07–30°14E. The maximum length is and the width varies from . The lake's drainage area of is equally distributed between Finland and

. The maximum depth of water in the lake is with a reported mean depth of . The water courses that drain into the lake are the Haapajarvi-Valtimojarvi and Saramojoki from its north-west direction, Viekinjoki River and

Lieksanjoki River Lieksanjoki or Lenderka (russian: Лендерка) is a river of Finland and Russia that begins in the Republic of Karelia in Russia. It flows into the Lake Pielinen in Northern Karelia, Finland. Parts of its basin in Russia are the lakes Lake L ...

from the north-east side, and flows from the small drainage basin of the Juvanjoki River into the west. The lake has many islands such the Paalasmaa (27.2 km²), Kynsisaari (), Porosaari (), Toinensaari (), Hattusaari (), Koveronsaari () and Retusaari (). The lake drains, unregulated, southward through the Pielis River into the larger

Saimaa Lake Saimaa ( , ; sv, Saimen) is a lake located in the Finnish Lakeland area in southeastern Finland. At approximately , it is the largest lake in Finland, and the fourth largest natural freshwater lake in Europe. The name Saimaa likely comes from a ...

of the large Vuoksi watercourse, which is used for timber floating. The variation in water level is limited to ; water transport on the lake is thus substantial. The catchment of the lake is densely forested, particularly on its rugged western shore, which is capped by Koli hill. At (), the point is the highest mountain in the catchment. The shores have a diverse landscape including barren lands, rock faces, exposed soils and beaches. Land use within the Finnish part of the catchment of the lake consists of mostly of forest, which takes up 56.6% of the total area of ; swamp accounts for another 27.2%; agricultural land takes 6.1%; with residential area and others using up 5.5%. The basin area is inhabited by 83,400 people (41,700 rural and 41,700 urban population). The two towns in the basin are Nurmes, at the northern tip of the lake, and Lieksa on the eastern shore, which have a population of 18,700 and 11,500 respectively. The

forms the western shore of the lake. Pielinen map

The wooded vegetation is mainly made up of coniferous forests (''

Pinus sylvestris ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

'', ''

Picea abies ''Picea abies'', the Norway spruce or European spruce, is a species of spruce native to Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. It has branchlets that typically hang downwards, and the largest cones of any spruce, ...

''), partly deciduous forests (''

Betula A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 3 ...

sp.'') with the drainage basin categorized as belonging to the northern zone of

conifers Conifers are a group of cone-bearing seed plants, a subset of gymnosperms. Scientifically, they make up the division Pinophyta (), also known as Coniferophyta () or Coniferae. The division contains a single extant class, Pinopsida. All extan ...

. The herbaceous vegetation in marsh areas consists of various grasses (''

Poaceae Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns an ...

''),

sedge The Cyperaceae are a family of graminoid (grass-like), monocotyledonous flowering plants known as sedges. The family is large, with some 5,500 known species described in about 90 genera, the largest being the "true sedges" genus ''Carex'' wit ...

(''

Carex ''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...

sp.'') and

moss Mosses are small, non-vascular flowerless plants in the taxonomic division Bryophyta (, ) '' sensu stricto''. Bryophyta (''sensu lato'', Schimp. 1879) may also refer to the parent group bryophytes, which comprise liverworts, mosses, and hor ...

(''

Sphagnum ''Sphagnum'' is a genus of approximately 380 accepted species of mosses, commonly known as sphagnum moss, peat moss, also bog moss and quacker moss (although that term is also sometimes used for peat). Accumulations of ''Sphagnum'' can store wa ...

sp.''). The agricultural crops grown in the area are

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...

oat The oat (''Avena sativa''), sometimes called the common oat, is a species of cereal grain grown for its seed, which is known by the same name (usually in the plural, unlike other cereals and pseudocereals). While oats are suitable for human con ...

, grass and

potato The potato is a starchy food, a tuber of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'' and is a root vegetable native to the Americas. The plant is a perennial in the nightshade family Solanaceae. Wild potato species can be found from the southern Unit ...

, which are mainly used for feeding domestic animals. It is, however, reported that agricultural use is on the decline. The primary industries in the basin are related to milk, meat and wood. The secondary industries in the basin consist of cardboard, sawed goods, milk products and rubber products. The periphery of the lake has a large network of roads and, during winter when the lake freezes, an ice road is the short route from one bank to the other. Road 73 passes through the Uimaharju on the southern side of the lake and goes through very scenic spots to the east end. The south end of the lake has a lock system at

Pielisjoki Pielisjoki (River Pielinen) is a long river in Eastern Finland. It is the sixth most fast-flowing river in Finland and the largest river draining into Lake Saimaa. The river connects the two largest lakes in North Karelia, Pielinen and Pyhäsel ...

, which connects to the

Climate

The climatic data has been recorded at the two major towns in the lake basin, namely the Lieksa and Juuka during the period between 1931 and 1960. At Lieksa, the average annual rainfall was with mean minimum and maximum temperatures recorded as (December) and (July). During the same period, the average rainfall at Juuka was and the minimum and maximum temperatures recorded were (December) and (July) respectively. The lake freezes, on average, during the period from 21 November to 14 May, according to records from the years 1960 to 1980.

Flora

The

phytoplankton Phytoplankton () are the autotrophic (self-feeding) components of the plankton community and a key part of ocean and freshwater ecosystems. The name comes from the Greek words (), meaning 'plant', and (), meaning 'wanderer' or 'drifter'. Ph ...

species recorded in the lake are ''

Chlamydomonas ''Chlamydomonas'' is a genus of green algae consisting of about 150 speciesSmith, G.M. 1955 ''Cryptogamic Botany Volume 1. Algae and Fungi'' McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc of unicellular flagellates, found in stagnant water and on damp soil, ...

spp.'', '' Monoraphidium confortum'', ''M. dykowskii'', ''

Scenedesmus ''Scenedesmus'' is a genus of green algae, in the class Chlorophyceae. They are colonial and non-motile. Taxonomy Currently, there are 74 taxonomically accepted species of ''Scenedesmus''. Additionally, several subgenera have been identified, ...

spp.'', '' Tabellaria flocculosa'', '' T. fenestrata'', ''Melosira sp.'', ''Mallomonas sp.'', '' Synura sp.'', ''

Dinobryon ''Dinobryon'' is a type of microscopic algae. It is one of the 22 genera in the family Dinobryaceae. ''Dinobryon'' are mixotrophs, capable of obtaining energy and carbon through photosynthesis and phagotrophy of bacteria. The genus comprises at ...

sp.'', ''

Merismopedia warmingiana ''Merismopedia'' (from the Greek ''merismos'' ivisionand the Greek ''pedion'' lain is a genus of cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The ...

'', ''

Anabaena flos-aquae ''Dolichospermum flosaquae'' is a species of cyanobacteria belonging to the family Aphanizomenonaceae. Type locality: Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, France, Germany, USA. Synonyms * ''Anabaena flosaquae'' Brébisson ex Bornet & Flauhault 1886 * ''A ...

'' and ''

Aphanizomenon gracile ''Aphanizomenon'' is a genus of cyanobacteria that inhabits freshwater lakes and can cause dense blooms. They are unicellular organisms that consolidate into linear (non-branching) chains called trichomes. Parallel trichomes can then further uni ...

''.

Fauna

The fauna in the lake consists of eight types of

benthos Benthos (), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.Insecta Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs o ...

– ''Dicrotenipeds pulsus'', ''Glyptotendipens spp.'', ''Polypedilum pullum'', ''Chaoborus flavicans'', ''Stictochironomus spp.'', ''Tanytarsus spp.'' and

Oligochaeta Oligochaeta () is a subclass of animals in the phylum Annelida, which is made up of many types of aquatic and terrestrial worms, including all of the various earthworms. Specifically, oligochaetes comprise the terrestrial megadrile earthworm ...

– ''Limnodrilus hoffmeisteri''.

Salmon Salmon () is the common name for several list of commercially important fish species, commercially important species of euryhaline ray-finned fish from the family (biology), family Salmonidae, which are native to tributary, tributaries of the ...

, which was previously endemic in the lake, is now extinct. Other fish species still found are: ''

Perca fluviatilis The European perch (''Perca fluviatilis''), also known as the common perch, redfin perch, big-scaled redfin, English perch, Euro perch, Eurasian perch, Eurasian river perch, Hatch, poor man’s rockfish or in Anglophone parts of Europe, simply th ...

'', ''

Esox lucius The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus ''Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a p ...

'', '' Rutilus rutilus'', ''

Coregonus albula ''Coregonus albula'', known as the vendace or as the European cisco, is a species of freshwater whitefish in the family Salmonidae. It is found in lakes in northern Europe, especially Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, Russia and Estonia, and in ...

'', ''C. mulesum'', ''C. lavaretus'',

Lota lota The burbot (''Lota lota'') is the only gadiform (cod-like) freshwater fish. It is also known as bubbot, mariah, loche, cusk, freshwater cod, freshwater ling, freshwater cusk, the lawyer, coney-fish, lingcod, and eelpout. The species is closely ...

Abramis brama The common bream, freshwater bream, bream, bronze bream, carp bream or sweaty bream (''Abramis brama''), is a European species of freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae. It is now considered to be the only species in the genus ''Abramis''. ...

, ''

Stizostedion lucioperca The zander (''Sander lucioperca''), sander or pikeperch, is a species of ray-finned fish from the Family (biology), family Percidae, which includes the perches, Gymnocephalus, ruffes and Darter (fish), darters. It is found in freshwater and brac ...

'' and ''

Salmo trutta lacustris The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...

''.

Water quality

The lake is categorized as mesotrophic. However, there are pockets of

eutrophication Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytopla ...

zones.

Bogs A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main Wetland#Types, types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, ...

dominate the basin area, which causes flow of

substances into the lake water. This has resulted in the lake water attaining a dark colour. This feature is said to be a typical characteristic of the lakes in Finland. Other parameters of chemical and physical properties of the lake waters measured relate to transparency (in meters), pH value,

dissolved oxygen Oxygen saturation (symbol SO2) is a relative measure of the concentration of oxygen that is dissolved or carried in a given medium as a proportion of the maximal concentration that can be dissolved in that medium at the given temperature. It ca ...

COD Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...

, and concentrations of

chlorophyll Chlorophyll (also chlorophyl) is any of several related green pigments found in cyanobacteria and in the chloroplasts of algae and plants. Its name is derived from the Greek words , ("pale green") and , ("leaf"). Chlorophyll allow plants to a ...

nitrogen Nitrogen is the chemical element with the symbol N and atomic number 7. Nitrogen is a nonmetal and the lightest member of group 15 of the periodic table, often called the pnictogens. It is a common element in the universe, estimated at se ...

and

phosphorus Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...

Uses

The lake is used for navigation, particularly for the transportation of timber; timber floated in the Pielinen Lake is estimated at 1.2 million tonnes per year. Other uses are as a fishery resource (the fish catch in 1981 was reported at 644 tonnes), fish products of vendace and

burbot The burbot (''Lota lota'') is the only gadiform (cod-like) 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 di ...

, and for recreational purposes to promote tourism. Swimming, sport-fishing and yachting are common attractions. The lake provides water to the extent of per day to industries and power plants.

Threats

Siltation is not an issue. However, toxic contaminants are regularly monitored including

mercury Mercury commonly refers to: * Mercury (planet), the nearest planet to the Sun * Mercury (element), a metallic chemical element with the symbol Hg * Mercury (mythology), a Roman god Mercury or The Mercury may also refer to: Companies * Merc ...

zinc Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

and

DDT Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT, is a colorless, tasteless, and almost odorless crystalline chemical compound, an organochloride. Originally developed as an insecticide, it became infamous for its environmental impacts. ...

to ensure that the standards prescribed under food safety standards, or tolerance limits for the safe use of water, are fully maintained. There is very limited pollution from

sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged from residenc ...

, municipal wastes and industrial uses, as adequate standards for

sewage treatment Sewage treatment (or domestic wastewater treatment, municipal wastewater treatment) is a type of wastewater treatment which aims to remove contaminants from sewage to produce an effluent that is suitable for discharge to the surrounding envir ...

and sanitary facilities are maintained.

Regulations

The basic National law that governs the lake and its basin is the Water law (1961, revised 1987) of Finland. The governmental ministries and agencies of Finland responsible for the complete upkeep of the lake are the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the National Board of Waters and Environment.

Attractions

Two major attractions around Pielinen Lake are Koli National Park and Paalasmaa Island.

Koli National Park

The

is studded with islands, which are glorified in the Finnish national anthem as an important Finnish symbol. It was declared a National Park in 1991, after an intense debate between the environmentalist lobby and the owners of the land property over the location of the Hotel Koli, which stands at the top of its namesake hill. This park and its environs, which spread over a width of , has inspired Finnish artists

Pekka Halonen Pekka Halonen (23 September 1865 – 1 December 1933) was a painter of Finnish landscapes and people in the national romantic style. His favorite subjects were the Finnish landscape and its people which he depicted in his Realist style.Aimo Reita ...

and

Eero Järnefelt Erik "Eero" Nikolai Järnefelt (8 November 1863 – 15 November 1937) was a Finnish painter and art professor. He is best known for his portraits and landscapes of the area around Koli National Park. He was a medal winner at the Paris ''Expositi ...

to create artistic paintings with its scenic beauty. It is approachable by ferry from the mainland. As a popular winter sport resort, this park provides the adventure sports of hiking and boating during summer; it has a network of walking paths, which cover nearly . A road link is also available to the hotel from the car park at the lower level. The highest point on the hill top is called the ''Ukko-Koli,'' which is linked to another peak called the ''Akka Koli''. On the western side of ''Akka Koli'' is the "Temple of Silence," which is a place for meditation. There is stone altar here and a cross mounted on the rock. Another peak close nearby is known as the ''Paha-Koli'' and to its south is the scenic view point known as '' Mäkrävaara.'' The

Koli Village Koli may refer to: Places * Koli, Finland, a hill in Finland * Koli National Park, a national park in Finland * Koli, Iran (disambiguation), several places in Iran * Koli Airfield, a former airfield in the South Pacific Other uses * Koli people ...

, within the park premises, has the information office, Internet facility and a post office. The visitor centre at the park is called the ''Luontokeskus Ukko'' (Ukko Nature Centre), where exhibitions are held on the history, nature and geology of the park. Two ski centres, used during the winter, are established here; they are known as ''Ukko-Koli'' and ''Loma-Koli'', both of which boast nine lifts and of cross country trails, with lighting along of the trail. It is one of the most accessible ski resorts in Finland. The hills here are covered with pine and birch trees.Symington, pp. 183–184 The national park has nine basic huts and camping grounds. There are also a

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships o ...

and swimming beach on the shores of the lake, where a Finnish dancing stage called the ''huvilava'' stands. Row boats are also available for rowing across the lake.

Paalasmaa Island

The Paalasmaa Island is the largest in the lake, with its peak rising to above mean sea level. Access to the island is through ferry services. An observatory tower stands on the island; old houses that reflect the history of the island can be seen along a trail marked ''tornille'' (to the tower).Symington, p.184

Ice Road

Pielinen hosts an ice road, during most winters, between the villages of Koli and Vuonislahti. The ice road is long and shortens the road distance between the two villages by . The date of opening varies depending on the climatic conditions each year; the earliest the road ever opened was during the 2010-2011 winter, on the 15th day of December. Previously the winter of 1995-1996 had witnessed the earliest opening, on the 29th day of December. In the winter of 2009-2010, the road did not open until mid-January, whilst in 2008-2009 the road opened in mid-February.

Helsingin Sanomat ''Helsingin Sanomat'', abbreviated ''HS'' and colloquially known as , is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of ...

has stated that the road is probably the longest of its kind in Europe; however, this assertion is incorrect, as the Hiiumaa Ice Road in Estonia is 25 km, and is more widely believed to Europe's longest.

Popular interest

The asteroid 1536 Pielinen is named after the Pielinen Lake.

References

{{Reflist Juuka LPielinen Lakes of Lieksa Lakes of Nurmes