Lagoon of Szczecin
Encyclopedia
Szczecin
Lagoon or Bay of Szczecin , also Oder lagoon , is a lagoon
in the Oder
estuary, shared by Germany
and Poland
. It is separated from the Pomeranian Bay of the Baltic Sea
by the islands of Usedom
and Wolin
. The lagoon is subdivided into the Kleines Haff ("small lagoon") in the West and the Wielki Zalew in the East. An ambiguous historical German name was Frisches Haff, which later exclusively referred to the Vistula Lagoon
.
river and smaller rivers like Ziese
, Peene
, Zarow
, Uecker
, and Ina . In the North, the lagoon is connected to the Baltic Sea
's Bay of Pomerania
with the three straits Peenestrom
, Świna
and Dziwna
, which divide the mainland and the islands of Usedom
and Wolin
.
The lagoon covers an area of 687 km², its natural depth is in average 3.8 meters, and 8.5 meters at maximum. The depth of shipping channels however can exceed 10.5 meters. Thus, the lagoon holds about 2.58 km3 of water. The annual average water temperature is 11°C.
94% of the water loads discharged into the lagoon are from the Oder
river and its confluences, amounting for an average annual 17 km3 or 540 m3 per second. All other confluences contribute a combined annual 1 km3. Since no reliable data for an inflow from the Baltic Sea
exist, the combined inflow is an estimated 18 km3 from a catchment area of 129,000 km2, residing in the lagoon for an average 55 days before being discharged into the Pomeranian Bay. The nutrients thereby transported into the lagoon have made it hypertrophic to eutrophic. The straits Peenestrom
, Świna
and Dziwna
are responsible for 17%, 69%, and 14% of the discharge, respectively.
The average salinity is between 0.5 and 2 psu, yet at times more salty water penetrates through the Swine locally rising the salinity to 6 psu.
In 1880, the Kaiserfahrt ("Emperor's passage") channel on Usedom was opened, a water route with a depth of 10 meters connecting the lagoon with the Baltic Sea by bypassing the eastern part of the Swine, allowing large ships to enter the lagoon and the seaport of Stettin quicker and safer.
The canal, approximately 12 km long and 10 meters deep, was dug by the German Empire
between 1874 and 1880, during the reign of the first Kaiser Wilhelm
(1797–1888) after whom it was named. Also, the work resulted in a new island named Kaseburg (Karsibór
) being cut off from Usedom.
After 1945, the areas east of Oder Neisse line became part of Poland, including the former German seaport cities of Stettin (Szczecin) and Swinemünde (Świnoujście) on the western bank of the river Oder was granted to Poland which renamed the canal after the Piast dynasty.
The German-Polish border also divides the bight called Neuwarper See near Rieth.
The lagoon has served as an important fishing grounds for centuries, as a major transportation pathway since the 18th century, and as a tourist destination since the 20th century.
s, castles, many hiking and cycling routes and a small village reviving the life of the former Slavic
settlements.
river, resulting in eutrophication
. High concentrations of aluminium
and iron sediments have been found in the river causing rapid algae
growth inside the lagoon. However, long-term nutrient concentrations show a high inter-annual variability and have declined during recent years.
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
Lagoon or Bay of Szczecin , also Oder lagoon , is a lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
in the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
estuary, shared by Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It is separated from the Pomeranian Bay of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
by the islands of Usedom
Usedom
Usedom is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. It is situated north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the River Oder in Pomerania...
and Wolin
Wolin
Wolin is the name both of an island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast, and a town on that island. It is separated from the island of Usedom by the Świna river, and from mainland Pomerania by the Dziwna river...
. The lagoon is subdivided into the Kleines Haff ("small lagoon") in the West and the Wielki Zalew in the East. An ambiguous historical German name was Frisches Haff, which later exclusively referred to the Vistula Lagoon
Vistula Lagoon
The Vistula Lagoon is a fresh water lagoon on the Baltic Sea separated from Gdańsk Bay by the Vistula Spit. It is sometimes known as the Vistula Bay or Vistula Gulf. The modern German name, Frisches Haff, is derived from an earlier form, Friesisches Haff. Both this term and the earlier Polish...
.
Geography
From the South, the lagoon is fed by several arms of the OderOder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
river and smaller rivers like Ziese
Ziese
Ziese is a river of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany.-See also:*List of rivers of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern...
, Peene
Peene
The Peene is a river in Germany. The Westpeene, Kleine Peene and Ostpeene flow into the Kummerower See, and from there as Peene proper to Anklam and into the Oder Lagoon....
, Zarow
Zarow
The Zarow is a river in Western Pomerania, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The ditches of the Friedländer Große Wiese dispatch to two main ditches, merging at Ferdinandshof, from where the river is called Zarow...
, Uecker
Uecker
The Uecker or Ucker is a river in the northeastern German states of Brandenburg, where it is known as the Ucker, and of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Its source lies in the Uckermark district, near the village Alt-Temmen. It flows north through Lake Oberuckersee, Lake Mollensee and Lake Unteruckersee,...
, and Ina . In the North, the lagoon is connected to the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
's Bay of Pomerania
Bay of Pomerania
The Bay of Pomerania or Pomeranian Bay is a basin in the southwestern Baltic Sea, off the shores of Poland and Germany....
with the three straits Peenestrom
Peenestrom
The Peenestrom is a strait or river in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is 20 Kilometers long and is the westernmost connection of the Szczecin Lagoon with the Baltic Sea. It is therefore also one of the three distributaries of the Oder....
, Świna
Swina
The Świna is a river in Poland flowing from the Oder Lagoon to the Baltic Sea, between the islands of Usedom and Wolin. It is a part of the Oder River estuary, and carries about 75% of that river's waterflow . It has a length of about 16 km...
and Dziwna
Dziwna
The Dziwna is an eastern strait, river or a branch of the Oder River out of three straits connecting the Oder Lagoon with the Bay of Pomerania of the Baltic Sea, between the island of Wolin and the Polish mainland.Major towns on the Dziwna include:* Wolin...
, which divide the mainland and the islands of Usedom
Usedom
Usedom is a Baltic Sea island on the border between Germany and Poland. It is situated north of the Szczecin Lagoon estuary of the River Oder in Pomerania...
and Wolin
Wolin
Wolin is the name both of an island in the Baltic Sea, just off the Polish coast, and a town on that island. It is separated from the island of Usedom by the Świna river, and from mainland Pomerania by the Dziwna river...
.
The lagoon covers an area of 687 km², its natural depth is in average 3.8 meters, and 8.5 meters at maximum. The depth of shipping channels however can exceed 10.5 meters. Thus, the lagoon holds about 2.58 km3 of water. The annual average water temperature is 11°C.
94% of the water loads discharged into the lagoon are from the Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
river and its confluences, amounting for an average annual 17 km3 or 540 m3 per second. All other confluences contribute a combined annual 1 km3. Since no reliable data for an inflow from the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
exist, the combined inflow is an estimated 18 km3 from a catchment area of 129,000 km2, residing in the lagoon for an average 55 days before being discharged into the Pomeranian Bay. The nutrients thereby transported into the lagoon have made it hypertrophic to eutrophic. The straits Peenestrom
Peenestrom
The Peenestrom is a strait or river in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is 20 Kilometers long and is the westernmost connection of the Szczecin Lagoon with the Baltic Sea. It is therefore also one of the three distributaries of the Oder....
, Świna
Swina
The Świna is a river in Poland flowing from the Oder Lagoon to the Baltic Sea, between the islands of Usedom and Wolin. It is a part of the Oder River estuary, and carries about 75% of that river's waterflow . It has a length of about 16 km...
and Dziwna
Dziwna
The Dziwna is an eastern strait, river or a branch of the Oder River out of three straits connecting the Oder Lagoon with the Bay of Pomerania of the Baltic Sea, between the island of Wolin and the Polish mainland.Major towns on the Dziwna include:* Wolin...
are responsible for 17%, 69%, and 14% of the discharge, respectively.
The average salinity is between 0.5 and 2 psu, yet at times more salty water penetrates through the Swine locally rising the salinity to 6 psu.
Towns in the area
- ŚwinoujścieSwinoujscieŚwinoujście is a city and seaport on the Baltic Sea and Szczecin Lagoon, located in the extreme north-west of Poland. It is situated mainly on the islands of Uznam and Wolin, but also occupies smaller islands, of which the largest is Karsibór island, once part of Usedom, now separated by a Piast...
(PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
) - PolicePolice, PolandPolice is a town in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, northwestern Poland. It is the capital of Police County. As of 2006, the town had 34,284 inhabitants. The name comes from Polish pole, which means "field"....
(at the Oder River and an estuaryEstuaryAn estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
of the Oder River - Roztoka Odrzańska) (Poland) - UeckermündeUeckermündeUeckermünde is a seaport town in northeast Germany, located in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, Western Pomerania, near Germany's border with Poland . Ueckermünde has a long and varied history, going back to its founding by Slavs, known as the Uchri and mentioned in 934 by Widukind of Corvey...
(GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
) - Wolin (town)Wolin (town)Wolin is a town situated on the southern tip of the Wolin island off the Baltic coast of Poland. The island lies at the edge of the strait of Dziwna in Kamień Pomorski County in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship....
(Poland) - Usedom (town)Usedom (town)Usedom is a town in Vorpommern-Greifswald district in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the seat of the Amt of Usedom-Süd, to which 14 other communities also belong.-Geography:...
(Germany) - Nowe WarpnoNowe WarpnoNowe Warpno is a town in northwestern Poland, in Police County in West Pomeranian Voivodeship. It lies on the shore of the Szczecin Lagoon, very close to the border with Germany. It is the seat of the urban-rural gmina called Gmina Nowe Warpno.The town's population is 1,170...
(Poland)
History
The canal, approximately 12 km long and 10 meters deep, was dug by the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
between 1874 and 1880, during the reign of the first Kaiser Wilhelm
William I, German Emperor
William I, also known as Wilhelm I , of the House of Hohenzollern was the King of Prussia and the first German Emperor .Under the leadership of William and his Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, Prussia achieved the unification of Germany and the...
(1797–1888) after whom it was named. Also, the work resulted in a new island named Kaseburg (Karsibór
Karsibór
Karsibór is an island in the Oder Lagoon, Poland, which was created artificially by a channel cutting it off from the island of Usedom. The island was named after its largest village ....
) being cut off from Usedom.
After 1945, the areas east of Oder Neisse line became part of Poland, including the former German seaport cities of Stettin (Szczecin) and Swinemünde (Świnoujście) on the western bank of the river Oder was granted to Poland which renamed the canal after the Piast dynasty.
The German-Polish border also divides the bight called Neuwarper See near Rieth.
Economy
Recreation
Today the lagoon offers a great selection of passenger ship tours, a wide range of water sports and some notable beaches. Tourists can discover winegrowing, the narrow-gauge railway, museumMuseum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s, castles, many hiking and cycling routes and a small village reviving the life of the former Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
settlements.
Pollution
The lagoon suffers from heavy pollution, mainly from the OderOder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
river, resulting in eutrophication
Eutrophication
Eutrophication or more precisely hypertrophication, is the movement of a body of water′s trophic status in the direction of increasing plant biomass, by the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system...
. High concentrations of aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
and iron sediments have been found in the river causing rapid algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
growth inside the lagoon. However, long-term nutrient concentrations show a high inter-annual variability and have declined during recent years.
See also
- Curonian LagoonCuronian LagoonThe Curonian Lagoon is separated from the Baltic Sea by the Curonian Spit. Its surface area is . The Neman River supplies about 90% of its inflows; its watershed consists of about 100,450 square kilometers in Lithuania and the Kaliningrad Oblast.-Human history:In the 13th century, the area around...
- Vistula LagoonVistula LagoonThe Vistula Lagoon is a fresh water lagoon on the Baltic Sea separated from Gdańsk Bay by the Vistula Spit. It is sometimes known as the Vistula Bay or Vistula Gulf. The modern German name, Frisches Haff, is derived from an earlier form, Friesisches Haff. Both this term and the earlier Polish...