Lake Constance

Also referred to as the Bodensee, Lake Constance is 42 miles long and covers an area of 208 square miles. The depth of the lake is 827 feet . Significantly, the borders of three European countries run through Lake Constance. The Foothills of the Alps in the country of Austria, that lies in the southwestern end of the lake, are also visible in the upper left and upper center of the image. To the northeast or left of the lake is the country of Germany. To the southwest or right of the lake is the country of Switzerland. The Lake Constance had been essentially formed by the Rhine Glacier during the ice ages.

The shallow waters of Lake Constance play a major role in the life of the 250,000 waterfowl and shorebirds that nest there. In the shallow water zone that makes up only 14 percent of the lakes surface, these birds find the water plants, mussels, and other organisms that they depend upon for food. The annual drop in the lakes level also exposes lake bottom in which ducks forage for food during the fall