Étang de Crovani

The Étang de Crovani is on the west coast of Haute-Corse in the commune of Calenzana to the east of the Baie de Crovani.[1] It is a permanent body of water separated from the sea by a bank of pebbles and gravel.[2] The lagoon is behind the center of the Crovani beach (or Argentella beach), a beach of small pebbles more than 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) long, which is known for its natural beauty but is rarely visited by tourists.[3] It is north of the village of L'Argentella and west of the D81b road, which leads to the village of Vignaccia.[1]

The lagoon and surrounding marshes cover 52.95 hectares (130.8 acres). Altitude ranges from 0 to 19 metres (0 to 62 ft).[4] The main tributary is the 6.15 kilometres (3.82 mi) Ruisseau de Marconcellu.[5]

The site is owned by the Conservatoire du littoral. It is classified as a Zone naturelle d'intérêt écologique, faunistique et floristique (ZNIEFF) Continentale de type 1.[4]

The lagoon is surrounded by a belt of tamarix trees and some grasslands dominated by bulrushes and rushes. The coastal barrier has a dense mosaic of mastic (Pistacia lentiscus) trees. It does not attract many birds due to its small size, but could be used as a stopover by migrating birds or as a wintering place in very cold winters.[2] The Köppen climate classification is Csb : Warm-summer Mediterranean climate.[6]