| Čepkeliai Marsh | |
|---|---|
_nuo_Musteikos.JPG) Čepkeliai marsh | |
  | |
| Location | Varėna District Municipality, Lithuania |
| Coordinates | 54°0′N24°31′E / 54.000°N 24.517°E /54.000; 24.517 |
| Area | 11,212 ha (27,710 acres) |
| Official name | Čepkeliai mire |
| Designated | 20 August 1993 |
| Reference no. | 625[1] |
| Official name | Kotra |
| Designated | 21 October 2002 |
| Reference no. | 1216[2] |
TheČepkeliai Marsh (Lithuanian:Čepkelių raistas) is the largestbog (amire) inLithuania. Located inVarėna District Municipality, south ofMarcinkonys village and north ofKotra River, which flows along theBelarus–Lithuania border in this area. Its area is anature reserve and aRamsar site.
The area of the swamp is protected as a statenature reserve (Čepkēliai Reserve), with its administration in Marcinkonys,[3] and part of the cross-borderwetlands of international importance: Kotra-Cepkeliai Transboundary Ramsar Site established in 2010. It consists of the Kotra Ramsar site in Belarus (designated in 2002)[2] and the Čepkeliai Mire Ramsar site in Lithuania (designated in 1993).[1] In 2011 the Čepkeliai Nature Reserve together withDzūkija National Park were certified asPAN parks.[3][4]
The bog itself covers an area of 5,858 hectares (14,480 acres), while the larger area of 11,212 hectares (27,710 acres) which also includes some neighboring sections of theDainava Forest is declared as theČepkeliai Nature Reserve. It was created in 1975, and is protected since 1960 (initially as a botanical-zoological sanctuary).[3] It is also part ofNatura 2000, the European ecological network.[3]
Most of Čepkeliai is araised bog while there are some smaller areas of afen and flooded forests. There are 21 smallbog lakes in the area, some of them areGlacial Age relicts, remnants of larger lakes that have been swamped. The largest of them is theEšerinis [lt]. Apeat stratum is of 5–6 meters of thickness.[5]
It grows a lot ofcranberries,wild rosemaries,heather. The reserve is a sanctuary forcranes,white-tailed eagles,black grouses,heather cocks,mountain hares,martens,smooth snakes.[3]
The Čepkeliai Marsh is closed for visiting, except from the observation tower and an educational trail by the edge of the marsh south to Marcinkonys village. The track was closed since June 2021.[3] Cranberry and mushroom picking is allowed for 10 days in early September for residents of the nearby villages with a permit, for personal use only.[6]
The nameČepkeliai comes from a personal nameLithuanian: *Čepkus, *Čepkelis, i. e. Čepkáuskas, Čepkẽvičius,Polish:Czepka, Czepko,Belarusian:Чепко,romanized: Čepko, which is a form of nameSzczepan. As at the beginning of 20th century, this name was used only for small western part of the bog. The main part was calledPolish:Ruska Puszcza ("Russian woodland") in Slavic maps. Local Lithuanian name for this swampy and forested region wasGudo Šalis ("The Land ofGud").[7]
_e%25C5%25BEeras.JPG)
