Laguna de Gallocanta
Encyclopedia
The Gallocanta Lake is an endorheic
lake located just to the south of Gallocanta
village, between the Aragonese comarcas of Campo de Daroca
and Comarca del Jiloca, Aragon
, Spain
. This lake is situated on a high continental plain at an altitude of almost 1,000 m.
It lies in a 53,600 ha natural basin known as El Campo de Bello, encircled by the Iberian System
mountain ranges of Sierra de Santa Cruz and Sierra de Pardos in the north, Sierra Menera
in the south and Sierra del Caldereros in the east. It is an intermittent rain-fed lake, largely dependent on abundant autumnal and spring rains if it is to maintain a sizeable amount of water into the hot summer months. During the summer of 1969 drought the lake dried completely, leaving a crust of salt
and remaining dry for a long spell.
s in Spain, being able to give shelter to an average population of 20,000 birds at one time. The lake also holds a wide array of wetland birds when its water level permits, while its shores are visited by steppeland birds and raptors.
The Gallocanta Lake has been designated as a Special Protection Area
and 6720 ha of the lake have been declared an Important Bird Area
(IBA).
Endorheic
An endorheic basin is a closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other bodies of water such as rivers or oceans...
lake located just to the south of Gallocanta
Gallocanta
Gallocanta is a municipality located in the province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 158 inhabitants.Just to the south of the village is the Laguna de Gallocanta, an endorheic lake....
village, between the Aragonese comarcas of Campo de Daroca
Campo de Daroca
Campo de Daroca is one of the comarcas of Aragon, in the Province of Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain. It is located in the mountainous Iberian System area.-Municipalities:...
and Comarca del Jiloca, Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. This lake is situated on a high continental plain at an altitude of almost 1,000 m.
It lies in a 53,600 ha natural basin known as El Campo de Bello, encircled by the Iberian System
Sistema Ibérico
The Sistema Ibérico or Iberian System is one of the main systems of mountain ranges in Spain.It is a vast and complex system of mountain chains and massifs located in the central regions of the Iberian Peninsula, but reaching almost the Mediterranean coast in the Land of Valencia in the east.From...
mountain ranges of Sierra de Santa Cruz and Sierra de Pardos in the north, Sierra Menera
Sierra Menera
Sierra Menera is a long mountain range in the southwestern end of the Iberian System. Its highest point is the 1,601 m high summit known as Monte de San Ginés; another important peak is the 1591 m high Mojón Alto....
in the south and Sierra del Caldereros in the east. It is an intermittent rain-fed lake, largely dependent on abundant autumnal and spring rains if it is to maintain a sizeable amount of water into the hot summer months. During the summer of 1969 drought the lake dried completely, leaving a crust of salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and remaining dry for a long spell.
Ecology
The Laguna de Gallocanta is one of the most important stopover sites for migrating Common CraneCommon Crane
The Common Crane , also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.It is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane at 100–130 cm long, with a 180–240 cm wingspan and a weight of 4.5–6 kg...
s in Spain, being able to give shelter to an average population of 20,000 birds at one time. The lake also holds a wide array of wetland birds when its water level permits, while its shores are visited by steppeland birds and raptors.
The Gallocanta Lake has been designated as a Special Protection Area
Special Protection Area
A Special Protection Area or SPA is a designation under the European Union Directive on the Conservation of Wild Birds.Under the Directive, Member States of the European Union have a duty to safeguard the habitats of migratory birds and certain particularly threatened birds.Together with Special...
and 6720 ha of the lake have been declared an Important Bird Area
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird Area is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. Currently there are about 10,000 IBAs worldwide. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International...
(IBA).