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| Lerchenauer See | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lerchenauer See |
| Caption | View of the lake and surrounding parkland |
| Location | Milbertshofen-Am Hart, Munich, Bavaria, Germany |
| Coordinates | 48°11′N 11°33′E |
| Type | artificial lake |
| Inflow | none (rainfed, groundwater) |
| Outflow | none (seepage, managed overflow) |
| Basin countries | Germany |
| Area | 7.6 ha |
| Max-depth | 8 m |
| Elevation | 519 m |
Lerchenauer See is a small artificial lake in the northern borough of Milbertshofen-Am Hart in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Created in the early 20th century as part of urban development and sand extraction activities near the Panzerwiese and Schleißheimer Straße, the lake today functions as a local recreational spot and ecological niche within the Allgäu-Oberschwaben-influenced landscape of northern Munich. It lies close to transport links such as the Münchner Freiheit-adjacent tram and U-Bahn corridors and residential quarters associated with Olympiapark planning.
The lake sits within the administrative boundaries of the Milbertshofen-Am Hart borough and is bordered by public parkland, sports fields near the Olympia Einkaufszentrum catchment, and mixed residential zones linked to the Schwabing and Am Hart neighborhoods. Geographically it occupies a post-glacial plain influenced by the Isar river valley and the terminal moraine systems that shaped much of southern Bavaria's topography. Proximate infrastructure includes the A9 (Germany) motorway corridor to the north, local tram routes serving Moosacher Straße, and bicycle networks connecting to the Grünwalder Straße greenway. The site lies within reach of regional green spaces like the Luitpoldpark and functional corridors to the Nymphenburg palace park systems.
The basin originated from early 20th-century sand and gravel extraction tied to Munich’s expansion and building projects associated with the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek-era growth and later Weimar Republic urbanization. Excavation for construction materials near military training grounds such as the former Panzerkaserne and development projects related to the 1936 Summer Olympics infrastructure contributed to pit formation. Post-extraction, natural groundwater recharge and intended landscaping under municipal plans transformed the pit into a permanent waterbody during the interwar and postwar periods, intersecting with planning initiatives from the Stadtmuseum München urban archives and local civic associations like the Gartenbauverein groups. Subsequent decades saw recreational adaptation influenced by citywide leisure policies from the Landeshauptstadt München administration.
The waterbody covers approximately 7.6 hectares with a maximum depth near 8 meters and average depths less than 4 meters, reflecting typical anthropogenic excavation profiles seen across Bavarian urban lakes. Basin sediments consist of sand, gravel, and post-glacial loess deposits comparable to substrates in the Ammersee-region shorelines. Shoreline morphology includes gradual beaches on the southern flank, reed fringes along the eastern littoral, and terraced embankments near sports facilities. Seasonal stratification occurs in summer months, producing thermoclines akin to patterns observed in other shallow Bavarian lakes monitored by the Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt. Water inputs are primarily from precipitation and groundwater seepage, with managed overflow systems connecting indirectly to municipal stormwater networks and nearby drainage channels historically linked to the Mühlbach catchments.
The lake supports a mosaic of littoral and pelagic habitats frequented by species typical of urban Bavarian waters. Aquatic plants include emergent reeds and submerged macrophytes resembling assemblages recorded in inventories by the Bundesamt für Naturschutz. Avifauna commonly observed comprises waterfowl and passerines associated with urban wetlands, such as Mallard-like ducks, grebes, and migratory stopovers documented in regional bird surveys coordinated by the Bayerische Ornithologen-Gesellschaft. Fish populations are dominated by coarse species introduced or sustained through connectivity with urban stock practices—species comparable to Common carp and European perch in other Munich ponds—supporting local angling activities regulated under municipal permits issued by the Fischereiverein München. Macroinvertebrate communities and amphibians typical of shallow, warm urban lakes—newts and frog species recorded in Bavarian herpetofauna lists—contribute to food-web dynamics monitored in ecological assessments by the LMU Munich biology departments.
Lerchenauer See functions as a neighborhood leisure area with walking paths, designated bathing zones, and adjacent sports grounds aligned to local recreation planning administered by the Referat für Bildung und Sport (München). Facilities include picnic lawns, benches, and simple changing rooms near the northern promenade; seasonal lifeguard services and water-quality advisories have been coordinated with the Gesundheitsreferat München during summer months. The lake is accessible via public transit stops on routes serving the U2 (Munich U-Bahn) and bus lines linking to Milbertshofen interchange points. Organized community events, small-scale regattas, and fishing matches are periodically sanctioned by local clubs such as the Sportverein and angling associations, under permissions from the Stadtverwaltung München.
Management of the site integrates municipal park maintenance, water-quality monitoring, and biodiversity measures overseen by entities including the Stadtgrün München unit and environmental officers from the Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt. Conservation efforts focus on shoreline restoration, invasive species control consistent with regional directives from the Freistaat Bayern, and balancing recreational use with habitat protection in coordination with citizen groups and university research partnerships from Technische Universität München and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München. Regulatory frameworks include local ordinances on bathing, fishing licenses, and protected-area recommendations aligned with broader conservation programs in the Munich metropolitan region. Recent initiatives emphasize adaptive management to address eutrophication risks and urban runoff, using measures similar to those applied in other Bavarian urban lakes under pilot projects supported by the EU nature funding mechanisms.
Category:Lakes of Munich