Viewshed
Introduction
The Somolinos lagoon is a mountain lagoon located in the municipality of Somolinos (Guadalajara, Spain) within the bed of the Manadero river, on the southern slopes of the Sierra de Pela. In its surroundings extends the natural monument Sierra de Pela and Somolinos lagoon.
The Somolinos lagoon is located at the foot of the Pela mountain range, whose southern slope presents a landscape characterized by mountain pastures (pasture (livestock) and ernaceous scrub), with a very wide view basin. The lagoon is an enclave of great chromatic variety and high landscape value, in the most arid environment presented by the slopes that close the Manadero valley.
It supports a great floristic and faunal diversity by offering refuge to birds, reptiles, amphibians, ichthyofauna and mammals, as well as aquatic and marginal flora.
Hydrology
The Somolinos lagoon has its origin in the damming of the waters of the Manadero River by a travertine dam. It is exorheic in nature, receiving its water contributions mainly from the river, and to a lesser extent from upwellings and from precipitation water "Precipitation (meteorology)") collected in the micro-basin of the lagoon. In very rainy years, shallow flooding occurs in areas occupied by marginal vegetation in the perilagunar strip, and these lands can remain flooded for several months.
The ordinary floodable surface that constitutes the lagoon basin is 3.8 hectares. The height of the water table in the deepest area can exceed seven meters.
Limnology
The Somolinos lagoon is of karst origin, with fresh waters, located at the bottom of a valley by a travertine enclosure. It is a fragile and unique lake system due to its genesis, which makes it a very rare type of lake in Europe.
It is an oligosaline lagoon") with waters of the calcium magnesium bicarbonate type and, as for the trophic state"), it is characterized by being an oligotrophic lagoon") of high transparency, with very low concentrations of phosphorus and somewhat higher concentrations of nitrate, with a dominant form of inorganic nitrogen. The photosynthetic planktonic communities") present low growth with low concentrations of chlorophyll.
Although the quality of the water is very high, there is diffuse, low-intensity pollution driven by the river, mainly due to nitrate load.