Karagöl is a landslide set lake located 25-27 kilometers from Borcka district of Artvin. The lake area is located within the borders of Borcka Lake Nature Park, which was established on 14 August 2002. An average of 10,000 people visit the lake annually.
History of Karagol
Karagöl, which is a landslide lake fed by Heba Stream and Savgule Stream, which forms the beginning of Klaskuri Stream, is located on a hilly part with peaks between Karasalvar Hill (2.333 m) and Verketil Hill (2.429 m) in the south. The lake emerged when the Savgule Valley was covered with landslide material cut from the slope. The waters accumulating in the landslide section formed by Savgule Stream formed two lakes, one big and the other small. The area of the small lake is about 7 acres and has a circular shape. The big lake, on the other hand, has an area of 50 acres and resembles a triangle. Both lakes are gradually connected to each other. The level of the big lake is 1-1.5 meters higher than the small lake. Although it is claimed that the lake was formed in the 1800s, this information is not certain.
The depth of the lake, which is full of alluviums carried by the same stream, decreased from 30 meters to 8 meters and its 56-decare land to 50 decares over time. In the work carried out jointly with the State Hydraulic Works of the Rize 12th Regional Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks, the alluvium filling the lake was drained and wooden supported walking paths were built into the lake.
Although Karagöl, which consists of two parts, is a landslide lake, it is not a landslide set lake. It was understood that most of the lake water was collected on the landslide debris. It was stated that it is not possible for a lake with a small area like Karagöl to form behind the barrier created by such a large landslide. It was also stated that the lake consists of water accumulating in the bipartite area between the roughness of the floating materials. The part between the two lakes also consists of landslide mass. The shallowness of the lake and the steepness of the slope in front of the Great Wall of China strengthen the possibility of Karagöl being on the wreckage.
