Lake Terkos
Lake Terkos (also called Lake Durusu) is a lake in Thrace section of Turkey.
About
The lake is in İstanbul Province. The midpoint of the lake is at about 42°21′N 28°35′E / 42.350°N 28.583°E. It is situated to the north west of İstanbul and its distance to İstanbul is 40 kilometres (25 mi). Its elevation with respect to sea level is about 4.5 metres (15 ft) and its maximum depth is 11 metres (36 ft). The surface area is 39 square kilometres (15 sq mi).[1] Depending on the rainfall, this lake with a 162m3 of the water potential pays approximately 20% of the water needs of Istanbul and surrounding settlements.[2]
The origin of Terkos lake is a lagoon and it is separated from the Black Sea coast by a 700 metres (2,300 ft) strip. Currently there is no connection to the sea and it is a fresh water lake fed by a number of creeks the most important one being the Istrance creek. The drainage basin is 619 square kilometres (239 sq mi).[3]
The area around the lake was a pirates' settlement in the medieval ages. A monastery named Trikos was built by the Genoa pirates. In the 19th century the lake was used as the main water source of İstanbul. In 1868 the concession of the lake and its environment was granted to an Ottoman French company.The annual water supply capacity of the lake is 162×106 cubic metres (5.7×109 cu ft). [1]
History
It is known that the history of village where the lake is located is about 900 years old. [2]
Facilities
In order to solve the water problem of Istanbul in the 19th century, samples had been taken from here . The researches showed Terkos Lake is a drinking water source. So, facilities were built for paying the water needs in this region. Thus, part 5/1 of inhabitants of İstanbul use this lake as a drinking water.[2]
