Gignoux Lake: Difference between revisions

Gignoux Lake (2329 m above sea level), also known as the Seven Colors Lake, is located in France in the Provence-Alps-French Riviera region at the border with the Susa Valley (Piedmont) territory. The lake is in the French department of the Upper Alps, to the east of Mount Chenaillet (2.650 m above sea level) and to the north of the Cerveyrette Valley^[1].

The lake covers an area of about 2 hectares. The Cima Saurel (2449 m a.s.l.) and the Mount Gimont (2648 m a.s.l.) form the northern side of the lake and are part of the border with Italy^[2]. The lake is set in an arid landscape with a view of Cervières (1620 m a.s.l.), the Chaberton (3 131 m a.s.l.) and the Fonts Valley^[1].

Gignoux Lake is located in a habitat formed by scree and moraine. With basalt and gabbro outlining an oceanic crust, a sign of a deep (3,000 m) and ancient ocean (150 million years ago): the Ligurian Tethys also called the Piedmont-Liguria Ocean (a paleo-ocean)^[3].

The site has 14 important plant species. Among these, 4 are protected nationally and 7 only in the Provence-Alps-French Riviera region^[4]:

• Mud sedge (Carex limosa) -
• Sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata) -
• Aethionema thomasianum -
• Lesser Bladderwort (Utricularia minor) - -
• Water pesse (Hippuris vulgaris) -
• Berardia (Berardia subacaulis) -
• Rolland's bulrush (Trichophorum pumilum) -
• Artemisia atrata -
• Androsace septentrionalis -
• The Alpine mock privet (Chamorchis alpina) -
• Alpine water lentil (Potamogeton alpinus) -
• Cardamine Plumieri (Cardamine plumieri) -
• Two-stemmed carex (Carex diandra) -
• Alpine rush (Trichophorum alpinum) -

Gignoux Lake
Location	France
Coordinates	44°54′01.81″N 6°45′57.92″E

Among mammals, the most present species is the deer. Among nesting bird species, there are the Common Quail, the Ortolan bunting, the rock partridge and the the black grouse^[4].

The lake can be reached via trails and dirt roads. From Capanna Mautino, from Lago Nero, from Claviere, from Baita Gimont and from Monginevro.

• Mautino hut, refuge Lago Nero.
• Baita Gimont, Pian Gimont, Cesana torinese TO.
• Refuge Col Saurel, Gimont, Cesana Torinese.

1. ^ ^{a b} Il lago Gignoux (dei 7 colori) | Una meraviglia tra le Alte Alpi, su Zen Hikers, 29 agosto 2022. URL consultato il 29 agosto 2022.
2. ^ Le lac Gignoux, le lac Noir et le lac des Sarailles : randonnée dans la vallée de la Cerveyrette, su www.photos-provence.fr. URL consultato il 29 agosto 2022.
3. ^ Lac Gignoux (2329m) (Briançonnais, Hautes-Alpes), su www.lacsdemontagne.fr. URL consultato il 30 agosto 2022.
4. ^ ^{a b} Emeric DROUOT, Jean-Charles VILLARET, Luc GARRAUD, Stéphane BELTRA, Alisson LECLERE, Sylvain ABDULHAK, Lionel QUELIN, Sonia RICHAUD, Jérémie VAN ES, VERSANT ADRET DE LA CERVEYRETTE, DU LAC DES SARAILLES AUX TRAVERSES - VERSANT SUD-EST DU CHENAILLET (PDF).[1]

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