Bargone Lake

Lake Bargone, also known as the pond of Roccagrande, is an interesting wetland in the upper valley of the Petronio stream behind Sestri Levante. It is one of the few natural wetlands on the maritime side of the Ligurian Apennines.

The pond is located in an open basin with small hollows at the head of the valley of the Bargonasco stream, one of the main tributaries of Petronius. The constantly flooded area (although it is partially infested with swamp vegetation) takes up almost half of the basin, which otherwise looks like a prairie. The basin is surrounded by the broad relief of Monte Bocco (1024 m), the pointed Monte Roccagrande (970 m) and the rocky Monte Treggin (871 m). The vegetation cover is bushy, made of boxwood and offers plenty of space for prairies, scree and rocky cliffs made of jasper and ophiolites. The formation of the basin is probably associated with glacier phenomena.

Despite the superficiality and the fact that it is located near the ridge, Lake Bargone never dries up thanks to the contribution of some perennial springs. The emissary flows south and forms one of the source branches of the Bargonasco stream.

The area has been converted into a protected area due to the large number of protected species that find their habitat there. Among the marsh plants there are rushes, Ciperaceae, and grasses; From a fauna perspective, there are different types of amphibians (Apennine frog, agile frog, larger green frog, yellow-bellied toad, common tree frog, crested newt, alpine newt), dragonflies, water beetles and even the collar matrix. The presence of around 70 sedentary and migratory bird species is also important.

Source: LIMNO WIKI