Nirzas Lake (Nerzas Lake) is located in the Rēzekne lowland of the Latgale upland, in Nirza parish of Ludza municipality; it is 156.2 m above sea level.

The 20 m wide lakeshore is low, farther it is gently sloping; in some parts there is steep rise. The bottom is even and sandy, in some places there is gravel and stones. It is the deepest lake in the former Ludza district and in the eastern borderland of Latvia. There is large water volume – 45.5 mil. m3. A narrow peninsula divides 12.5 m deep north-eastern part of the lake from the eastern part. Nirzas Lake is a eutrophic, running-water lake. There are inflows such as streams and ditches; in the south-west there is an outflow to Līdūkšņas Lake and to the Ilžas River (the upper part of the basin of the Ludza River). It hosts roach, pike, perch, bream, European cisco, silver bream. The shores are inhabited.

Area: 5.52 km2

Length: 4.9 km, max. width 1.5 km.

Average depth: 8.2 m, max. depth: 21.0 m.

Basin: 24.7 km2 (it belongs to the basin of the Velikaya River)

 

 

Legends about Nirzas Lake

At the place, where Nērzas Lake is now, there used to be a river. Once two women came to wash clothes in the river. After some time large clouds appeared. One of the women told “Look, where Nērzas Lake is coming!” But another woman did not pay attention. It started to shower and instead of the river emerged Nērzas Lake. The woman, who had noticed the clouds and had told about Nērzas Lake, managed to come to the shore by Zahari village, but the woman, who had not believed, sank. That is why there is still an island opposite to Zahari village. (1767, 509. Ludzas Nirza 1947)

Old people say that earlier there was not Nirzas Lake, but a river. A woman was washing clothes and saw large clouds coming. The woman was surprised and told that it was Nirzas Lake with wings (‘spōrni’ in Latgalian). Instead of the river a lake appeared. Behind Nirzas Lake there is Spōrna Lake now – it is a place, where Nirzas Lake’s wings fell on the ground. (1767, 827, Ludzas Nirzā 1947)

Once two women were washing clothes in a marshy, wet place. They spoke that there had been a lake there, but people forgot its name. The women tried to guess and pronounced various words. One of them told ‘Nirza’. The marsh sank and a lake appeared. Only a small, narrow piece of land remained, which helped the women to get to the shore. In such a way Nirzas Lake appeared. (1724, 2267.  Mikitāne  Liepājas Ezerē 46 g. v.; recorded by R. Graubiņa 1941)

 

 

Latvijas daba. 4.sēj. – Rīga: Latvijas enciklopēdija, 1997. – P.41.

Latviešu tautas teikas: izcelšanās teikas.- Rīga: Zinātne, 1991.- P. 264.