Island no more: Once-stranded spot reconnected to drought-stricken mainland in Italy
Situated in Italy’s largest lake, a small island’s coastline has become dry and exposed. The island’s dainty pier barely reaches the water. Anyone arriving by boat will have to hoist themselves up to reach the dock.
But no one is arriving by boat.
Instead, visitors are arriving by foot, walking or even biking across a narrow strip of land to reach the once-stranded Island of San Biagio, AFP reported.
The island, also called the Island of Rabbits, is located about 655 feet off the coast near Manerba del Garda, In Italy Magazine reported. Home to rocky white beaches, a handful of trees and a rabbit population, the island is usually only accessible by boat.
Around mid-February, a narrow rocky pathway reemerged from the lake, In Italy Magazine reported. The skinny strip of stones curves outward from the mainland before arching back to reach the Island of San Biagio, drone video from il Fatto Quotidiano, an Italian newspaper, shows.
Historically low water level
The water level of Lake Garda is at its lowest winter levels in 30 years, il Fatto Quotidiano reported. Water levels have dropped about 1.5-feet to 2-feet lower than the winter average.
Lake Garda’s water levels reached a low of about 17 inches on Feb. 15, according to data from the Garda Community Interregional Territorial Body. Last year at this time, Lake Garda’s water level was about 42 inches, In Italy Magazine reported.
The lake’s water level has fluctuated slightly but remained between about 17 inches to 18 inches throughout February, data shows.
The low water levels have made the Island of San Biagio an island no more, photos show.
The amount of water coming through Lake Garda’s dam has been dropping for weeks, data from Garda Community officials shows. From Feb. 1 to Feb. 17, the amount of water flowing out of the dam dropped in half.
What’s causing drought conditions?
Drought conditions across northern Italy have emerged due to a combination of factors. Low snowfall in the Alps. warmer temperatures and a lack of rainfall have contributed to the drop in water levels, AFP reported.
Italy, like much of Europe, suffered a historic drought last summer and has not fully recovered, the outlet reported. Scientists have repeatedly attributed the intensity and duration of the drought to climate change.
The low water levels in Lake Garda — and the reemerged pathway — have raised concerns that Italy might be facing another drought this coming summer, TG24 reported.
Lake Garda is in northern Italy, about 340 miles northwest of Rome.
Google translate was used to translate articles from In Italy Magazine, il Fatto Quotidiano and TG24 as well as data from the Garda Community Interregional Territorial Body.
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