Lac du Bourget
Encyclopedia
The lac du Bourget is a lake
in the Savoie
department of France
. It is the largest and the deepest lake located entirely within France. The most important town on its shore is Aix-les-Bains
. Chambéry
, the capital of Savoie, lies about 10 km south of the lake. The lake is named after the town Le Bourget-du-Lac
, on its south shore. It is mainly fed by the river Leysse
(and other small rivers), and drains towards the river Rhône
through the Canal de Savières
, an artificial channel. It is a Ramsar site
. The extinct bezoule
was found only in this lake.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
department of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. It is the largest and the deepest lake located entirely within France. The most important town on its shore is Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains
Aix-les-Bains is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is situated on the shore of Lac du Bourget, by rail north of Chambéry.-Geography:...
. Chambéry
Chambéry
Chambéry is a city in the department of Savoie, located in the Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France.It is the capital of the department and has been the historical capital of the Savoy region since the 13th century, when Amadeus V of Savoy made the city his seat of power.-Geography:Chambéry...
, the capital of Savoie, lies about 10 km south of the lake. The lake is named after the town Le Bourget-du-Lac
Le Bourget-du-Lac
Le Bourget-du-Lac is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It lies near the Lac du Bourget and from Chambéry.-External links:*...
, on its south shore. It is mainly fed by the river Leysse
Leysse
The Leysse is the river which crosses the city of Chambéry, Savoie, France. At its entrance into the city, it goes underground in a channel of about 1 km.-Characteristics:...
(and other small rivers), and drains towards the river Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
through the Canal de Savières
Canal de Savières
The Canal de Savières is a canal in western France. It joins Lac du Bourget to Savières. It is 4.2 km long with 1 lock.-See also:List of canals in France...
, an artificial channel. It is a Ramsar site
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
. The extinct bezoule
Bezoule
The bezoule was a species of freshwater whitefish in the family Salmonidae. It was endemic to the Lac du Bourget in Savoie, France where it was pelagic in deep water. The maximum length recorded for this species is . It is known from specimens collected in the late nineteenth century, and was...
was found only in this lake.