Gammelstadsviken, Norbotten
Gammelstadsviken | |
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Lake | |
Location | Sweden |
Coordinates | 65°37′47.78″N 22°4′55.63″E / 65.6299389°N 22.0821194°E |
Surface area | 2.19 km2 (0.85 sq mi) |
Surface elevation | 2 m (6 ft 7 in) |
Gammelstadsviken is a lake located in
History
Gammelstadsviken was once part of the same sea bay as Mjölkuddtjärnen, and they are ecologically connected, as they were part of the same water surface several hundred years ago. Today, the sea level is a few meters lower due to tectonic uplift. In the past, this was one of the entry routes to Gammelstaden, as sea routes reached both north and south of Porsön, and further through Gammelstadsviken. The harbor itself was relocated depending on the sea level, but for a long time, it was located below the current Hägnan. In the middle of the 17th century, the town and its port were moved to present-day Luleå. Gammelstadsviken was also the route for the peasants who would travel to the church and the church town on weekends.[1]
The beaches around the bay were once used for cultivation, pastures, and hayfields. Much of this is now overgrown with forest but still bears traces of cultivation, including ditches. From Porsön to Köpmanholmen, across Sellingsundet, there is a constructed marsh path, the so-called Brännvinsstigen. Sellingsundet was named after the surveyor and engineer Theodor Selling, who had his farm on Köpmanholmen. Selling had the road built in the middle of the 19th century with the help of workers with alcohol problems. Rumor has it that they were not only given food and shelter at Köpmanholmen but also paid in drinks, hence the name of the path. At the bridge over Sellingsundet, there are remains of a dam from the early 19th century. There were also plans to lower Gammelstadsviken through a canal to Notviken in the river to extract more farmland. But the drop was too small for the project to have any effect. Gammelstadsviken was thus spared the development that took place at Persöfjärden, which was lowered by almost 2 meters in the 20th century. If this had happened in Gammelstadsviken, it would be largely overgrown with aquatic vegetation today.[1]
Geography
Gammelstadsviken has kept its name bay, even though it is now a lake. The lake drains via Sellingsundet to Björsbyfjärden, Sörfjärden and Mulöfjärden at Bensbyn. It is currently separated from the sea by dams built at Bensbyn and Lulsundet. The purpose of these dams is to maintain the water level in Björsbyfjärden, Sörfjärden and Björkskatafjärden. However, these dams do not significantly affect the water level of Gammelstad Bay.[1]
Environment and accessibility
Gammelstadsviken is close to several residential areas, but forest areas separate the lake from them. The bay is limited on the south and west sides by roads and railways. There are no possible visitor routes into the reserve. The main entrances today are from Porsön, from the old Haparandavägen and from the Hägnan open-air museum. A hiking trail connects these three entrances. One problem for visitors is that the distance to the birds is often long and the views of the water too few. It is really only from the bird tower that you can look out over the water surface, and there are long distances such as hundreds of meters up to a kilometer from the bird flocks. From the European route E4 and highway 97 there is no access at all to the bay.[1]
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Ecology
Gammelstadsviken is a significant bird lake, characterized by its clay plain formation. In many aspects of vegetation and animal life, it bears resemblance to famous bird lakes to the south, such as Tåkern and Kvismaresjöarna.[1]
Birds
At the lake there are bird species such as greylag gooses, garganeys, tufted ducks, goldeneyes, goosanders, widgeons, mallards, sandpipers, western mash harriers, eurasian coots, great crested grebes, red-necked grebes, whooper swans, ural owls, rustic buntings, black-headed gulls and little gulls. Both ospreys and white-tailed eagles also inhabit the lake. In the surrounding forests, hazel grouses, black grouses and pygmy owls can be found. Several of these bird species are listed as threatened to varying degrees: horned grebes, curlews, stock pigeons, pochards, gadwalls, smews, pintails and shovelers.[1]
Mammals
In the surrounding forests and the wetlands of the lake, there is a large population of moose. They are often seen grazing around the bay. Both beaver and muskrat are present in the lake.[1]
Amphibians
The bay is a breeding ground for moor frogs, common frogs and common toads.[1]
Sub-catchment area
Gammelstadsviken is part of the sub-basin (729733–178775) that
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Rapport-Gammelstadsviken-Mjölkuddstjärnen" (PDF) (in Swedish). October 20, 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2020.
- ^ "Gammelstadsviken, Luleå kommuns webbplats" (in Swedish). Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ^ Östling, Birgitta (September 18, 2014). Viken snart flygfärdig (in Swedish). Tidningen Extra. Norrbottens Media AB. pp. 4–5.