Lake Biel: Difference between revisions

Lake Biel
Lake Biel
Lake Bienne; Bielersee (German); Lac de Bienne (French)
	Lake Biel Lake Biel Lake Biel Lake Biel
Location	Canton of Bern
Coordinates	47°5′N 7°10′E / 47.083°N 7.167°E
Catchment area	8,305 km2 (3,207 sq mi)
Basin countries	Switzerland
Max. length	15 km (9.3 mi)
Max. width	4.1 km (2.5 mi)
Surface area	39.3 km2 (15.2 sq mi)
Max. depth	74 m (243 ft)
Water volume	1.12 km3 (910,000 acre⋅ft)
Residence time	58 days
Surface elevation	429 m (1,407 ft)
Islands	St. Peter's Island
Settlements	Biel/Bienne (see list)

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Lake Biel or Lake Bienne (German: Bielersee; French: Lac de Bienne [lak də bjɛn]) is a lake in western Switzerland. Together with Lake Morat and Lake Neuchâtel, it is one of the three large lakes in the Jura region of Switzerland. It lies on the language boundary between German and French speaking areas.

Geography

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 8,305 km². Water remains in the lake for an average of 58 days. The rivers Aare and Zihl/Thielle flowing from Lake Neuchâtel, the Twannbach draining water down from the surplombing first Jura mountain range and the Suze draining water down from the Vallon de St. Imier, are the main tributaries. The Aare was redirected into the lake in 1878, in order to prevent the flooding of the nearby area called "Seeland", and drains the water out of the lake down to Büren through a simultaneously man-made channel. The level of all three lakes is being controlled by a dam built across the channel, in Port.

The largest settlement along the shores of Lake Biel are the bilingual city of Biel/Bienne and its sister city Nidau, both located on the northern end. The St. Peter's Island attracts tourists. The island is located near Erlach/Cerlier. 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 their sites and headquarters in the area, including the Swatch Group and Rolex movements manufacture.

The lake's surface is the lowest point of the canton of Neuchâtel.

Towns and villages by the lake

The lake at Alfermée with the view of Biel/Bienne and Nidau

As the lake is located on the border of the French and German language regions, most places have names in both languages, though not all versions are still in use.

Alfermée
Bipschal - Bévesier
Erlach - Cerlier
Gaicht - Jugy
Gerolfingen
Hagneck
Im Rusel
Ipsach
Le Landeron (canton of Neuchâtel) - Landern
Ligerz - Gléresse
Lüscherz - Locras
Mörigen - Morenges
Neuenstadt - La Neuveville
Nidau
Sankt-Petersinsel
Schafis - Chavanne
Schernelz - Cernaux
Sutz-Lattrigen
Täuffelen - Choufaille
Tüscherz - Daucher
Twann - Douanne
Vinelz - Fénil
Vingelz - Vigneules
Wingreis - Vingras

External links

Lake Biel in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland.
Waterlevels of Lake Bienne at Ligerz
Tourism Biel/Bienne Seeland
Coolidge, William Augustus Brevoort (1911). "Bienne, Lake of" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). p. 921.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Short description|Lake in western Switzerland}}
-{{Infobox lake
+__NOTOC__
- |name = Lake Biel <br> Lake Bienne
+{{Infobox body of water
- |image = Bielersee.jpg
+| name = Lake Biel
- |location=[[Canton of Berne]]
+| other_name = '''Lake Bienne'''<br/>{{native name|de|Bielersee}}<br/>{{native name|fr|Lac de Bienne}}
- |caption =
+| image = Lake Biel sentinel-2.jpg
- |image_bathymetry =
+| caption =
- |caption_bathymetry =
+| image_bathymetry =
- |coords = {{coord|47|5|N|7|10|E|type:waterbody_region:CH|display=inline,title}}
+| caption_bathymetry =
- |type =
+| location=[[Canton of Bern]]
- |inflow =
+| coords = {{coord|47|5|N|7|10|E|type:waterbody_region:CH|display=inline,title}}
- |outflow =
+| type =
- |catchment = [[1 E9 m²|8305 km²]]
+| inflow =
- |basin_countries = Switzerland
+| outflow =
- |length = 15 km
+| catchment = {{convert|8305|km2|abbr=on}}
- |width = 4.1 km
+| basin_countries = Switzerland
- |area = [[1 E7 m²|39.3 km²]]
+| length = {{convert|15|km|abbr=on}}
- |depth =
+| width = {{convert|4.1|km|abbr=on}}
- |max-depth = 74 m
+| area = {{convert|39.3|km2|abbr=on}}
- |volume = 1.12 km³
+| depth =
- |residence_time = 58 days
+| max-depth = {{convert|74|m|abbr=on}}
- |shore =
+| volume = {{convert|1.12|km3|acre.ft|abbr=on}}
- |elevation = 429 m
+| residence_time = 58 days
- |islands = [[Sankt-Petersinsel]]
+| shore =
- |cities = [[Biel/Bienne]] (''see [[#Cities and villages on the lake|list]]'')
+| elevation = {{convert|429|m|abbr=on}}
+| islands = [[St. Peter's Island]]
+| cities = [[Biel/Bienne]] (''see [[#Cities and villages on the lake|list]]'')
+| pushpin_map=Canton of Bern#Canton of Neuchâtel#Switzerland#Alps
+| pushpin_label_position= bottom
+| embedded      = {{Infobox mapframe |wikidata=yes |zoom=11 |coord={{WikidataCoord|display=i}}}}
 }}
-'''Lake Biel''' or '''Lake Bienne''' ([[German language|German]]: ''Bielersee'', [[French language|French]]: ''Lac de Bienne'') is a [[lake]] in the west of [[Switzerland]]. Together with [[Lake Murten|Lake Morat]] and [[Lake Neuchâtel]], it is one of the three large lakes in the [[Jura mountains|Jura]] region of Switzerland. It lies approximately at {{coord|47|5|N|7|10|E|type:waterbody_region:CH|name=Lake Biel}}, at the language boundary between German & French speaking areas.
+'''Lake Biel''' or '''Lake Bienne''' ({{langx|de|Bielersee}}; {{langx|fr|Lac de Bienne}} {{IPA|fr|lak də bjɛn|}}) is a [[lake]] in western [[Switzerland]]. Together with [[Lake Murten|Lake Morat]] and [[Lake Neuchâtel]], it is one of the three large lakes in the [[Jura mountains|Jura]] region of Switzerland. It lies on the language boundary between German and French speaking areas.
+== Geography ==
-The lake is 15&nbsp;km long and up to 4.1&nbsp;km wide. Its surface area is [[1 E7 m²|39.3 km²]], the maximum depth 74 m. The lake is located at 429 metres above sea level.
+The lake is 15&nbsp;km long and up to 4.1&nbsp;km wide. Its surface area is [[1 E7 m2|39.3&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>]], the maximum depth 74&nbsp;m. The lake is located at 429 metres above sea level.
-Lake Biel has a catchment area of about [[1 E9 m²|8,305 km²]]. Water remains in the lake for an average of 58 days. The river [[Aare]], the river [[Zihl]]/[[Thielle]] flowing from Lake Neuchâtel, the [[Twannbach]] draining water down from the surplombing first Jura mountain range and the river [[Suze (river)|Suze]] draining water down from the [[Vallon de St. Imier]], are the main tributaries. The river [[Aar]]e was redirected into the lake in 1878, in order to prevent the flooding of the nearby area called "Seeland", and drains the water out of the lake down to [[Büren, Solothurn|Büren]] through a simultaneously man-made channel. The level of all three lakes is being controlled by a dam built across the channel, in [[Port (Bern)|Port]].
+Lake Biel/Bienne has a catchment area of about [[1 E9 m2|8,305&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>]]. Water remains in the lake for an average of 58 days. The rivers [[Aare]] and [[Zihl]]/[[Thielle]] flowing from Lake Neuchâtel, the [[Twannbach]] draining water down from the surplombing first Jura mountain range and the [[Suze (river)|Suze]] draining water down from the [[Vallon de St. Imier]], are the main tributaries. The [[Aare]] was redirected into the lake in 1878, in order to prevent the flooding of the nearby area called "Seeland", and drains the water out of the lake down to [[Büren, Solothurn|Büren]] through a simultaneously man-made channel. The level of all three lakes is being controlled by a dam built across the channel, in [[Port (Bern)|Port]].
-The largest settlement along the shores of Lake Biel are the [[bilingual]] city of [[Biel/Bienne]] and its sister city [[Nidau]], both located on the northern end  The [[Saint Peter's island]] attracts tourists, mainly families. The island is located near [[Erlach, Switzerland|Erlach/Cerlier]]. [[Jean-Jacques Rousseau]] once spent a few months on the island.
+The largest settlement along the shores of Lake Biel are the [[bilingual]] city of [[Biel/Bienne]] and its sister city [[Nidau]], both located on the northern end. The [[St. Peter's Island]] attracts tourists. The island is located near [[Erlach, Switzerland|Erlach/Cerlier]]. [[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 their sites and headquarters in the area, including the [[Swatch Group]] and [[Rolex]] movements manufacture.
@@ Line 36: / Line 43: @@
 The lake's surface is the [[List of cantons of Switzerland by elevation|lowest point]] of the canton of Neuchâtel.
-==Cities and villages on the lake==
+== Towns and villages by the lake ==
-[[Image:Swiss-bienne-city-1.JPG|thumb|right|340px|The lake at [[Bienne]]]]
+[[File:Swiss-bienne-city-1.JPG|thumb|The lake at Alfermée with the view of [[Biel/Bienne]] and [[Nidau]]]]
 As the lake is located on the border of the French and German language regions, most places have names in both languages, though not all versions are still in use.
+*Alfermée
 *Bipschal - Bévesier
 *[[Erlach BE|Erlach]] - Cerlier
 *Gaicht - Jugy
-*[[Gerolfingen]]
+*Gerolfingen
 *[[Hagneck]]
+*Im Rusel
 *[[Ipsach]]
-*Landern - [[Le Landeron]]  ([[Canton of Neuchâtel]])
+*[[Le Landeron]] ([[canton of Neuchâtel]]) - Landern
 *[[Ligerz]] - Gléresse
 *[[Lüscherz]] - Locras
@@ Line 52: / Line 61: @@
 *Neuenstadt - [[La Neuveville]]
 *[[Nidau]]
-*[[St. Petersinsel|Sankt-Petersinsel]] - [[Ile de Saint-Pierre]]
+*[[St. Petersinsel|Sankt-Petersinsel]]
 *Schafis - Chavanne
 *Schernelz - Cernaux
@@ Line 64: / Line 73: @@
 ==External links==
-{{Commons category|Lake Bienne}}
+{{Commons category|Lake Biel}}
 *{{HDS|8646}}
 *[http://www.hydrodaten.admin.ch/en/2208.html#aktuelle_daten Waterlevels of Lake Bienne] at [[Ligerz]]
 *[http://www.biel-seeland.ch Tourism Biel/Bienne Seeland]
+* {{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Bienne, Lake of | volume= 3 |last= Coolidge |first= William Augustus Brevoort |author-link= W. A. B. Coolidge|  page = 921 |short= 1}}
-[[File:Lac de Bienne (Nidau).JPG|thumb|center|1000px|Lake Bienne, view from Nidau]]
+[[File:Lac de Bienne (Nidau).JPG|thumb|center|770px|Lake Biel, view from Nidau]]
 {{Lakes of Switzerland}}
 {{Authority control}}
-[[Category:Lakes of Switzerland|Biel-Bienne]]
+[[Category:Lake Biel| ]]
+[[Category:Lakes of Switzerland|Biel]]
 [[Category:Lakes of the canton of Bern|Biel]]
 [[Category:Lakes of the canton of Neuchâtel|Biel]]
-[[Category:Aare drainage basin|LBiel]]
+[[Category:Aare basin|LBiel]]
 [[Category:Bern–Neuchâtel border]]
-[[Category:Lake Biel|Lake Bienne ]]

v t e Lakes of Switzerland
Major lakes	Lake Biel (Lac de Bienne, Bielersee) Lake Brienz (Brienzersee) Lake Constance (Bodensee) Lower Lake Constance (Untersee) Upper Lake Constance (Obersee) Lake Geneva (Lac Léman/de Genève) Lake Hallwil (Hallwilersee) Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstättersee) Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano/Ceresio) Lake Maggiore (Lago Maggiore) Lake Murten (Lac de Morat, Murtensee) Lake Neuchâtel (Lac de Neuchâtel, Neuenburgersee) Lake Sempach (Sempachersee) Lake Sihl (Sihlsee) Lake Thun (Thunersee) Lake Walen/Walenstadt (Walensee) Lake Zug (Zugersee) Lake Zurich (Zürichsee) Upper Lake Zurich (Obersee)
Lists	List of lakes of Switzerland List of mountain lakes of Switzerland List of dams and reservoirs in Switzerland
Lakes portal Switzerland portal

Authority control databases
International	VIAF
National	Germany France BnF data
Other	IdRef Historical Dictionary of Switzerland