Buško Lake
Description
Buško jezero is one of the largest reservoir lakes in Europe, located in the south of Livanjsko polje, at an altitude of about 700 meters, at the tri-border area of Bosnia, Dalmatia and Herzegovina. Two-thirds of its surface belong to the municipality of Tomislavgrad, and one-third to the municipality of Livno. It was created in 1972 by flooding Buško blato, a typical karst field through which the Ričina flowed, and the water stored in the lake is used to produce electricity at the Orlovac hydropower plant.
The lake covers an area of 55.8 km², and in some places it reaches a depth of 17 meters. The lake is a habitat for endemic fish species (oštruljak, podbila, chub) and is home to exceptional fishing — catfish there can weigh over 50 kg. The entire area of Buško jezero and Livanjsko polje is on the IBA list of internationally important bird areas and on the Ramsar list of wetlands. It is planned to be declared a protected landscape.
The lake and its nature
Buško jezero was formed by flooding a karst field, but over the decades since its creation it has developed a rich ecosystem of its own. It is home to endemic species such as oštruljak and podbila, and it attracts anglers with its exceptional abundance of fish — catfish, as the main predator in the lake, reach sizes rarely seen in the inland waters of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Livanjsko polje area around the lake, including the lake itself, is internationally recognized as a habitat for migratory and nesting birds, so it is regularly visited by ornithologists as well. The mountains of Tušnica and Kamešnica that close the horizon offer hikers trails with views of the lake surface, which in the sun resembles the sea.
Activities & facilities
