Lake Biel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lake Biel Bielersee Lac de Bienne |
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| Coordinates | |
| Catchment area | 8305 km² |
| Basin countries | Switzerland |
| Max-length | 15 km |
| Max-width | 4.1 km |
| Surface area | 39.3 km² |
| Max-depth | 74 m |
| Water volume | 1.12 km³ |
| Residence time (of lake water) | 58 days |
| Surface elevation | 429 m |
| Islands | Sankt-Petersinsel |
| Settlements | Biel/Bienne |
Lake Biel-Bienne (German: Bielersee, French: Lac de Bienne) is a lake in the west of Switzerland. Together with Lake Morat/Murten and Lake Neuchâtel, it is one of the three large lakes in the Jura region of Switzerland. It lies approximately at , at the language boundary between German & French speaking areas.
The lake is 15 km long and up to 4.1 km wide. Its surface area is 39.3 km², the maximum depth 74 m. The lake is located at 429 metres above sea level.
Lake Biel-Bienne has a catchment area of about 8305 km². Water remains in the lake for an average of 58 days. The river Aare, the river Zihl/Thielle flowing from Lake Neuchâtel and Twanbach draining water down from the surplombing first Jura mountain range are the main tributaries. The river Aare was redirected into the lake in 1878, in order to prevent the flooding of the nearby area called "Seeland".
The largest settlement along the shores of Lake Biel-Bienne is the bilingual city of Biel-Bienne located on the northern end. The Sankt-Petersinsel (island) attracts tourists, mainly families. The island is located near Erlach. Jean-Jacques Rousseau once spent a few months on the island.
One of the main business in the area is the watch and affiliated microtechnic industries. World famous watch brands have there sites and headquarters in the area, including the Swatch Group and Rolex movements manufacture.
