Pildas Lake is located on the Latgale upland, in Ņukši and Isnauda parishes of Ludza municipality; it is at 138.3 m above sea level. It is the largest lake in the group of Pildas lakes.

The bottom of the lake us uneven, mostly sandy, in the northern part there is a sludgy cove. In the narrow part the shores are low, farther there is a sloping elevation.

There are 9 islands (total area 33.4 ha); the largest ones are – Caplu, Andžu, Pildas, Ozolu, Vidussala. 4 islands have been under protection since 1924, till 1999 they were a botanic reserve. The Pilda River flows through the lake. There is an inflow from Zurzu lakes (the Sovānu River).

It is a eutrophic lake. It hosts bream, pike, perch, roach, carp, sander. On the eastern shore there is a castle mound.

Area: 2.95 km2, area with the islands: 3.28 km2

Length: 4.0 km, max. width: 1.3 km.

Average depth: 2.1 m, max. depth: 4.5 m.

Basin: 195.7 km2 (the lake belongs to the basin of the Velikaya River)

 

Islands of Pildas Lake is a botanic reserve, which is located in Ņukši parish. The reserve consists of 6 islands (in total there are 9 islands in Pildas Lake) – Capļu (area 11.9 ha), Pildas (area 6.9 ha), Ozolu (area 4.3 ha), Vidussala (area 2.4 ha), and Paegļu (area 0.3 ha).

On Andžu Island (area 10.6 ha) there is a large field. Vegetation was investigated on Vidussalā, Pildas, Ozolu and Liepu islands. On these islands there are beautiful broad-leaved tree forests (oak and lime-tree). They are rich in caulescent plants; the dominating plants are lungwort, Solomon’s seal, etc. The underbrush consists of bird cherry trees, honeysuckle, rowan and hop. Along the shore there are forests of marshy black alder.

On Pildas island botanists found 138 species of plants and ferns; on Vidussala island these are 98, on Ozolu island – 97, on Liepu island – 68. Pildas Lake is overgrown with algae, the area of the islands is increasing, and the family of the plants is changing.

 

 

Latvijas daba. 4.sēj. – Rīga: Latvijas enciklopēdija, 1997. – P. 130.

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