Zootzensee Zechlinerhuette

Germany Lake 1 - Excellent

Zootzensee is a 157-hectare lake on the southern edge of the Mecklenburg Lake District, formed approximately 12,000 years ago during the thaw of the Weichselian Ice Age. It is part of the Rheinsberg Lake Chain and has an irregularly shaped basin with a maximum depth of 21.9 metres. The lake experiences stable temperature stratification in summer and has a water exchange time exceeding three years. The catchment area covers 41 square kilometres, with approximately two-thirds forested and 18% used for agriculture. The bathing site at Zechlinerhütte is a popular recreational destination for swimmers and water sports enthusiasts.

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Water

Natural lake with surface area of 157 hectares. Mean depth 6.6 metres, maximum depth 21.9 metres. Water exchange time exceeds 3 years. Water temperature range 12.1–24.2°C (mean 20°C). pH range 7.8–8.3 (mean 8.1). Water transparency range 1.5–2.5 metres (mean 2 metres). Freshwater lake with salinity less than 0.5‰. Ecological status class: good (ÖZK 2). Water is stratified and naturally nutrient-rich (mesotrophic) but measured as eutrophic.

Location

Zechlinerhütte, situated on the northern east and west shores of Zootzensee in the Rheinsberg Lake District. The area is in Rhinsberg municipality, Ostprignitz-Ruppin district, Brandenburg.

Facilities

Two changing rooms, ping-pong table, benches, hiking hut.

Season

Year-round monitoring by the district health authority. Four-weekly sampling conducted during the bathing season.

Water Quality

Water quality classification: excellent for all assessment periods 2016–2024. Escherichia coli and intestinal enterococci concentrations at 95th and 90th percentiles: 15–48 per 100 ml (2019–2024 monitoring periods). No exceedances of individual microbiological parameter values. No cyanobacterial blooms observed. Eutrophic status attributed historically to nutrient inputs from adjacent settlements, though underwater vegetation extends to 6.5 metres depth. Long-term environmental monitoring conducted by the State Office for Environment.