21/01/2023
The catchment area of the lake is about 2600 km², the lake is fed primarily from underground sources on the eastern shore (about 50% of the total watercourse), in addition, about 25% comes from rivers and precipitation. More than 20% of the water enters Lake Ohrid from the neighboring Lake Prespa, located 10 km to the southeast, the water line in which is 150 m higher than in Lake Ohrid. Water from Lake Prespa enters through underground pathways in the karst. Water leaves Lake Ohrid through evaporation (~40%) and through the only outflowing river, the Black Drin, which flows northward into Albania and merges with the White Drin to form the Drin River. Due to the direction of the winds and the rotation of the Earth, the water on the surface of Lake Ohrid flows mostly counterclockwise along the coast. In terms of vertical water exchange, convective mixing dominates during cold winters. But even in winter, only the upper 150-200 meters of water mix; below this level, the layers remain stable in their mineralization. The average water temperature in summer is about +21 °C.
