Lake Sera

Lake Sera is a landslide dam lake located within the boundaries of the Akçaabat district of Trabzon. The lake was formed in the Derecik Valley, which lies between the municipalities of Yıldızlı and Derecik. It takes its name from Sera, the former name of Yıldızlı, which is within its borders.

The lake was formed as a result of large rocks breaking off from the slopes of the Derecik Valley on Tuesday, 21 February 1950, due to excessive rainfall, blocking the valley floor. Some of the broken pieces are so large that even today the areas where the breaks occurred can be understood. These breaks caused deep cliffs to form in the valley and a small local earthquake occurred on the day of the breaks. The mass that broke off the mountain is 30 m wide, 650 m long, 130 m high, and has a volume of 15 million m³. The lake took its full shape in 18 days, and the local people personally witnessed the formation of a lake. The cleanup of the landslide debris on the slopes and the excavation at the valley floor, carried out by soldiers, lasted for a long time. The rising lake waters have slightly reduced the lake's size as the downstream river eroded the lake dam. When it first formed, the lake area, which was 4 km in length, was reduced by half, and the depth decreased by 2 m.

In 1990, large-scale landslides that affected the Eastern Black Sea caused major changes in Lake Sera; from that time to the present, soils eroded from the upper parts of the valley and later transported have put Lake Sera at risk. The displaced soils accumulated on the lake bottom have caused many people who fell into the lake to be unable to get out and to lose their lives. The rapid filling of the lake with soil and, especially after heavy rains, the accumulation of waste from the upstream channels of the stream on which the lake lies have prompted authorities to act; two water dams have been built in the upper sections, and the lake's alluvial deposition areas have begun to be emptied. However, during these works, an area with hundreds of trees was destroyed and picnic sites began to be built there, which also sparked reactions. Many officials who thought the lake would become an artificial lake opposed this project. Reclamation works on Lake Sera are still ongoing.

The lake, whose waters are fresh, contains carp, catfish and trout. The freshwater crayfish later introduced into the lake has multiplied excessively. 1.2 MW installed capacity hydroelectric power plant, producing 5.64 GW of electricity per year, is located 300 m downstream of the lake.

After the reclamation works, Lake Sera, one of the tourist areas of Trabzon Province, is expected to become an even larger center. The lake surroundings are suitable for eco‑tourism and recreational activities. Walking, camping, sightseeing, amateur fishing, boat trips, picnicking, photography and similar activities can be carried out around the lake.

The lake surroundings were declared a third‑degree natural site in 2005 and a Nature Park in 2010.