Lac de Vassivière

This article has been expanded with material from the corresponding page in French Wikipedia The lac de Vassivière or Vassivière Lake (vasivjɛʁ; Vacivièra in Occitan), one of France's largest artificial lakes, is a large man-made reservoir of about . It is situated on the Plateau de Millevaches in the départements of Creuse and Haute-Vienne. It is the largest area of water in the Limousin region of France and provides water supplies, hydroelectricity, and leisure facilities. The lake was constructed after World War II and opened at Christmas 1950. It is the product of two dams in the valley of the Maulde River, an important tributary of the Vienne River. The Maulde is the most important source of water for the lake, and the lac de Lavaud-Gelade, a reservoir to the east, is able to feed it via an underground canal. The lac de Vassivière feeds water to a hydro-electric station at Mazet, to the west. The lac de Vassivière is surrounded by more than of land of ecological or natural interest (ZNIEFF: Zone naturelle d'intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique), level 1, grouped in 15 distinct areas. These present the full range of landscapes characteristic of the Plateau de Millevaches: peat bog, wetland, heath and forest. The bogs, in particular, are unique and fragile small ecosystems, composed of many strata of plant material, and forming a carbon sink. They are the sources of many of the streams and rivers that flow from the region. The climate is heavily influenced by the elevated, inland location. Milevaches winters are cold with snowfalls heavy enough for some winter sports. Spring is generally cool and wet, and summer is warm and pleasant, albeit with occasional fierce thunderstorms. Autumn often brings a period of considerable sun and warmth. The lac de Vassivière is the 16th largest lake in France by area, but sixth among the artificial lakes, and tenth among fresh water lakes. It is surrounded by many different communes, including: in Creuse : Faux-la-Montagne, Royère-de-Vassivière.