Considering a refreshing dip? Orlången offers more than just a picturesque view. This lake in Huddinge, south of Stockholm, is a hub of activity.
Orlången is part of the Tyresån Lake System. It is a key feature of the Orlången Nature Reserve. The reserve was founded in 1998. It covers 15 square kilometers. 12 square kilometers are land. This land features a South Stockholm rift valley system.
The lake’s catchment area is a mix of fractured valleys. These valleys alternate between agricultural lands and forests. This makes Orlången ideal for outdoor fun. Locals and tourists enjoy fishing and bathing here. Birdwatching is also popular. You might spot some tour skaters, canoeists, skiers, or walkers. The Bottnen wetland is near the inflow from Mörtsjön. It is an important bird locale. Cliffs around the lake offer summer sunbathing spots. Angling is permitted in half the lake with a card.
But Orlången faces environmental challenges. Mud-filled valleys once made it moderately eutrophic. Nutrient accumulation from nearby areas has increased this. The lake’s depths lack oxygen in winter and summer. This suggests internal loads worsen the situation. The lake might be self-fertilizing. Nutrients release from the sediments. Phosphorus discharge is still high from residential areas. However, it remains controllable.
Orlången boasts diverse flora. You can find reed and club-rush here. Wood club-rush and broadleaf cattail also thrive. Flowering rush and water hemlock add to the variety. Yellow iris and yellow loosestrife paint the shores. Bittersweet and yellow water-lily dot the surface. White water-lily and broad-leaved pondweed are common. Red pondweed and whorled water-milfoil can also be seen. Amphibious bistort and water-soldier add to the mix. Frogbit, duckweed, greater bladderwort, and greater duckweed complete the aquatic plant life.
The shores also support hybrid crack willow and alder. Bay willow and grey willow provide shelter. Aspen and ash trees stand tall. Purple-loosestrife and marsh fern add color. Wild angelica and marsh woundwort grow freely. Gypsywort and creeping spearwort dot the landscape. Marsh cinquefoil and marsh-marigold thrive in wetter areas. Bittersweet and skullcap add to the diversity. Corn mint and meadowsweet release fragrant scents. Trifid bur-marigold and purple small-reed line the edges.
Dragonflies thrive at the lake’s north-eastern end. Red-eyed damselflies dart among the reeds. Northern damselflies flit about. Azure damselflies add a splash of color. Brown hawkers patrol the skies. Club-tailed dragonflies hover near the water. Downy emeralds shimmer in the sunlight. Four-spotted chasers complete the dragonfly spectacle.
Orlången’s fish population is diverse. Smelt and pike hunt in the depths. Roach and rudd swim in schools. Tench and bleak dart among the plants. Silver bream and carp bream forage on the bottom. Crucian carp and burbot add to the variety. Perch, zander, and ruffe complete the fish community. Signal crayfish were introduced in the 1970s.
The lake attracts many bird species. Great crested grebes glide across the surface. Mute swans float majestically. Canada geese honk overhead. Mallards dabble in the shallows. Coots paddle among the reeds. Water rails skulk in the undergrowth. Ospreys soar above, hunting for fish. Marsh harriers patrol the skies. Northern lapwings call from the fields. Sandpipers scurry along the shore. Terns dive for fish. Gulls wheel overhead. Long-tailed tits flit through the trees. Lesser spotted woodpeckers drum on branches. Reed warblers sing from the reeds. Sedge warblers chatter in the bushes. Marsh warblers add their melodies. Thrush nightingales sing their beautiful songs. Cranes have been breeding by the lake for a decade.
Deciduous forests north of Orlången provide crucial habitat for bats. The area offers insects and hibernation spots. Northern bats and parti-coloured bats find shelter here. Daubenton’s bats and noctules hunt over the water. Soprano pipistrelles flit through the trees. Brown long-eared bats and whiskered bats complete the bat community.
Orlången is a valuable natural area. It offers recreation and supports diverse wildlife. It needs careful management to maintain its beauty.
Take a moment to appreciate Orlången’s natural beauty. It is more than just a lake. It is a vibrant ecosystem. It is a recreational haven.