Sera Gölü

Sera Lake is a landslide-dammed lake west of Trabzon, within the district of Akçaabat, in the valley between Yıldızlı and Derecik. It takes its name from Sera, the former name of the town of Yıldızlı within whose boundaries it lies. The Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism notes that the lake lies about one kilometre inland from the coast, while press reports put its distance from the city centre at about ten kilometres. This closeness makes Sera Lake a nature stop that can easily be visited from Trabzon in half a day. The story of the lake is still alive in the memory of generations who witnessed a natural event. In February 1950, after heavy rain, a large mass of earth and rock broke away from the slope of the Derecik Valley and blocked the valley floor. Most sources give the date as 21 February, while the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism says 20 February. According to Wikipedia, the mass that broke off was about 650 metres long with a volume of some 15 million cubic metres. Once the Sera stream was cut off, water built up behind the barrier and the lake took its present form in about 18 days; local people watched a lake being born before their eyes. When it first formed, the lake stretched for several kilometres along the valley. Over time the outflow wore down the earth dam and the area of the lake shrank; the Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism also notes that the water surface is slowly decreasing. The directorate states that the width of the lake varies between 150 and 200 metres. The major landslides that struck the eastern Black Sea in 1990 also caused significant changes in the lake, and soil carried from the upper parts of the valley began to settle on the lake bed. Wikipedia gives its present length as about 1,200 metres, its width as 250 metres and its deepest point as 20 metres. Because alluvium from the upper valley and material carried by floods sometimes muddy the lake, small dams have been built upstream and improvement works have continued. After the downpour of August 2018, for example, the surface of the lake was covered with wood and waste carried by the flood, and specially equipped machines were brought in to clean it. The lake and its surroundings were declared a natural protected area in 2005 and a nature park in 2010. On the risky slopes around the lake, geosynthetic reinforced walls were built instead of concrete retaining walls, and their surfaces were covered with soil and vegetation in an effort to preserve the natural look of the lake. About 300 metres below the outflow of the lake there is a small hydroelectric plant. Carp, barbel and brown trout live in the freshwater lake, and freshwater crayfish released into it later have also multiplied. Its shores are framed by densely wooded slopes, and the humid Black Sea climate brings every shade of green into the valley. The steep slopes on either side of the lake are the most vivid witnesses to the story of its formation; the scars of the collapse can still be read in the valley. The most popular thing visitors do is walk along the lake shore. The footpath running along the water lets you circle the lake at an easy pace, and from different points you see the slopes reflected in the water. Short trips on the lake can be taken in pedal boats or rowing boats, and amateur fishing and picnics are common around the lake. The best light for photography is usually early in the morning and late in the afternoon; in windless moments the reflection of the slopes on the water becomes sharpest. The seasons change the face of the lake. Spring and summer paint the slopes deep green, in autumn the yellow and red tones of the trees are reflected in the water, and on snowy days the valley takes on a completely different look. Since the water can become cloudy after rainy spells, those who want to see a clear lake may prefer periods when dry weather has lasted a few days. Sera Lake is reached from Trabzon by leaving the coastal road towards Akçaabat and turning into the valley; as it is close to the city centre, it can also be reached quickly by taxi. There are places to eat, drink and rest on the lake shore. Boat hire and the operating conditions of the facilities can change with the season, so current information should be checked on site. It is easy to combine a visit to the lake on the same day with the historic Ortamahalle houses of Akçaabat or with Hıdırnebi Plateau higher up.