Stappitzer See is an Alpine lake in the Hohe Tauern mountain range near Mallnitz in Carinthia, Austria. It is located in the peripheral zone of the Hohe Tauern National Park.
| Stappitzer See | |
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View to Seebach valley and Ankogel massif | |
Stappitzer See | |
| Location | Carinthia |
| Coordinates | 47°01′04″N 13°11′39″E |
| Type | glacial lake |
| Primary outflows | Seebach and Mallnitzbach to Möll River |
| Basin countries | Austria |
| Max. length | 216 m (709 ft) |
| Max. width | 8.4 ha (21 acres) |
| Surface area | 3.6 ha (8.9 acres) |
| Average depth | 3.6 m (12 ft) |
| Max. depth | 6 m (20 ft) |
| Water volume | 130,000 m3 (170,000 cu yd) |
| Surface elevation | 1,273 m (4,177 ft) |

The lake arose during the last glacial period (Würm glaciation), when the retreat of glaciers led to a Sturzstrom landslide of debris damming up the waters in the Mallnitz valley. After many thousand years of a continuous sedimentation process, Stappitzer See confined by several debris cones is a relict from the ice age.
Plans for a reservoir power station developed by the Österreichische Draukraftwerke AG (present-day Verbund AG) in the 1970s failed due to environmental impacts and local opposition. The lake is a resting area for numerous bird species such as the black-throated loon and the western yellow wagtail, as well as a breeding ground for the little grebe, the Alpine swift, and the Eurasian crag martin. In 1986 it was declared a nature reserve; since 2008 it is a Special Protection Area according to the European Birds Directive.
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