Gölcük Lake
Gölcük Lake is an alluvial barrier lake located in Izmir province of Turkey. It is within the borders of Gölcük District of Ödemiş district. The lake area is 0.941 km², the deepest point is 7 m, and the lake volume is 1,814 m³. Gölcük Lake, which is 5 kilometers away from Bozdağ town and has an area of 1521 hectares, was taken under protection on 30.12.2022. This lake is home to various trees, plants and forests. It is also located in an area surrounded by pine trees. Many people come to visit this lake for holidays and stay in various hotels around it. The length of the lake is 1,950 m and its widest point is 1,100 m. Its altitude above sea level is 1,049 meters. Reedy and swamp areas have formed on the southwestern coast. The lake basin, which has a size of 9.2 km², has an altitude of 1049–1350 m. 12,467,054 m³ of precipitation falls into the lake basin annually.
The excess water of the lake reaches the Gediz River via the Tabak Stream and then to the Aegean Sea. Different opinions have been put forward regarding its formation. The alluvial materials carried by Mad Creek and Geyik Creek, located in the north of the lake, have created a natural barrier in the valley. In the lake basin, there are gneiss, quartz and schists, which are the oldest rock groups that form the basis of Bozdağlar. The lake is located on a plain that is 3 km wide and 12 km long, which the people call Gölcük Plain or Gölcük Plateau. The shores of the lake, reaching a length of 5,800 m, have a low shore character. The 400 m long, 2 m high embankment built on the northern shores of the lake in the 1960s caused the lake waters to rise by 1 m. At the same time, this lake was formed as a result of tectonic movements.
The lake, which does not contain any streams, is used for agricultural irrigation. There is a 2.5-3 m level drop in the lake, which experiences water loss in summer. Catfish, carp and freshwater lobster (crayfish) are caught in the lake.
