Satellite data reveal Lake Koronia shrunk by 94% amid decades of mismanagement
Recent Sentinel-2 images show Lake Koronia near Thessaloniki has lost about 94% of its surface, dropping to just 2.7 km² in 2026 after a steep decline over the past three years.
Satellite imagery from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission, examined by the National Observatory of Athens/Meteo, documents a dramatic 94% reduction in Lake Koronia’s water surface, leaving only 2.7 km² in 2026. The lake’s area dropped from 29.8 km² in 2024 to 17.9 km² in 2025, reflecting a rapid three-year decline after earlier modest losses. The downturn is linked to a regional Master Plan promoted by former regional governor Panagiotis Psomiadis, which funded large-scale excavations, reservoirs and a proposed “union dam” intended to link Koronia with Lake Volvi.
Despite millions of euros spent, the works failed to operate effectively, and environmental oversight was weakened, allowing industrial discharges to pollute the basin. The resulting toxic algae blooms and oxygen depletion caused mass fish kills and the death of protected bird species. Academic Maria Mustaka, who has studied the lake for two decades, says scientific warnings were ignored throughout the process.
Why it matters
The lake’s near-disappearance highlights how misdirected public funds and ignored science can devastate ecosystems and local communities.
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