Stelsersee

At the end of the last ice age, powerful natural forces created the conditions for the formation of Lake Stelser. Today, the lovely mountain lake is characterized by valuable siltation zones and a rich flora and fauna.

Glacier forces shape the your-Stelsersee
More than ten thousand years ago, when the melting of the large glaciers began, the formation of Lake Stels began. The melting glacier left behind a moraine, behind which a lake dammed up. This primeval Stelsersee was much larger than it is today.
Over time, the flowing Seebach has eaten more and more into the moraine, causing the lake to slowly empty. Only when the stream hit rocky ground was the emptying stopped. The stream outflow and the moraine are still clearly visible witnesses in the landscape today.

From the primeval lake to the moor lake
The constant growth and death of aquatic and riparian plants have led to ring-shaped siltation zones of different sizes and vegetation. The silting up only progresses to a certain water depth and proceeds very slowly at this sea level. Due to the considerable water depth in the middle of the lake, the open water surface of Lake Stels has hardly changed in recent decades.

Rare species can be discovered
Lake Stels is known for its insect diversity. Rare dragonflies with sounding names such as the small moss damselfly or the spear damselfly occur here.
And when it comes to plants, many a height record can be recorded: In addition to the white water lily, the lake lichen rush also thrives nowhere in Graubünden as high up as on Lake Stelsersee.

Sensitive habitats need our protection
Siltation zones are both valuable and sensitive habitats. They are characterized by constant waterlogging and peat formation. Lake Stels has an exemplary arrangement of vegetation zones in the water area. Each zone is characterized by its own vegetation with different species, colors and structures. The wet peat soils in the vicinity of the lake are very sensitive to footfall and should not be walked on. The input of nutrients can also disturb the siltation zones or make them disappear. Thanks to an unfertilized buffer zone around the lake, this danger is averted here.

Rules of conduct in a protected area
Please note the following points:
- Do not leave signposted paths and paths
- Keep dogs on a leash
- Do not camp or swim
- Do not catch, disturb, track, use animals
- Do not pick, uproot, insert plants