Lake Kerkini dams the Strymonas (Struma) river coming from Bulgaria. It is an artificial lake that was created from a dam in 1932 and over time has transformed the surrounding area into a true paradise. A sanctuary for birds and people alike, the calm, serene lake is ideal for bird watching and fishing. The original purpose of Lake Kerkini was to regulate the water level of the Strymonas to prevent flooding further downstream. In addition to this use, water was increasingly withdrawn from Lake Kerkini over the years to irrigate agricultural areas along the Strumas plain and the Serres-Sidirokastro plain. A new dam was built in 1982 as a result of the meanwhile lower water level, also due to the sediment input of the river Strymonas and thus the reduced capacity. In addition to being used for flood protection and for irrigating agricultural land, Lake Kerkini has developed into an important wetland biotope. 30 species of freshwater fish and 300 species of birds live in and around Lake Kerkini. In addition to birds and fish, there are also rare animals such as wolves. Thousands of flamingos wintering here have been a highlight since the 1990s. Source: Excerpts from de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerkini-See and discovergreece.com/de/macedonia/lake-kerkini