Lake Izvorul Muntelui

Lake Izvorul Muntelui
File:Bicaz Lake and Dam.jpg Lake and Bicaz Dam
Location	Romania
Coordinates
Type	artificial lake
Primary inflows	Bistriţa River
Primary outflows	Bistriţa River
Basin countries	Romania
Max. length	40 km
Max. width	2 km
Surface area	33 km²
Max. depth	97 m
Water volume	1,250 mio m³ (max)
Settlements	Bicaz port, Potoci

Bicaz Lake

The Lake Izvorul Muntelui, also known as Lake Bicaz, is the largest artificial lake on the interior waters of Romania; it was created after the completion of a dam built on the Bistriţa River. The dam is located a few kilometers north of the town of Bicaz.

The dam was built between 1950 and 1960 and is used to generate hydroelectricity at the Bicaz-Stejaru hydro-plant. It has a height of 127 meters, a length of 435 meters, and a maximum width of 119 meters. The lake has a length of 40 kilometers, an area of 33 km² and a maximum volume of 1,250 million m³.

The lake is a popular tourist destination in the region, especially in summertime, when visitors can take the ferryboat from the Bicaz port for a short trip on the lake, enjoying the magnificent view of Mount Ceahlău on the west shore.

In the 1960s and 1970s there was regular ferry service between the Bicaz port and the villages on the lake shore.

At Potoci, a few kilometers north of the town of Bicaz, there is a biological research facility, equipped with a small submersible used for underwater explorations. The facility was visited by the marine biologist Jacques-Yves Cousteau in 1984.