Lake Cadagno is a special lake, mysterious because it consists of two overlapping lakes and precious because this peculiarity makes it a unique ecosystem.
The upper part, in contact with the atmosphere, is a normal alpine lake fed by the melting waters of the snow. The water descends on granite rocks and is poor in mineral salts, therefore lighter (crystalline water).
The lower layer of the lake receives neither water nor oxygen from the outside world, but is fed by springs below the lake. The water that flows through the dolomite is enriched with mineral salts (sulphur, calcium, phosphates, ammonium, magnesium) and enters the lake from springs below the lake (sulphurous springs). The salt content determines a higher density of the water, which stratifies in the lower part.
