Riserva Locale del Lago di Tenno

The turquoise waters of Lake Tenno are framed by a local nature reserve created through community initiative.

Why it matters

The community promoted the reserve with support from Trentino institutions to safeguard the lake and its surroundings. The basin it protects is unusual: a deep, spring-and-rain-fed hollow at about 570 metres below Monte Misone, with clear water and a rocky lake bed. The lake has no surface outflow and only three dwellings on its shore; its ecosystem supports rare amphibian species. The Comune di Tenno designates the lake a Riserva Locale and manages it under a specific plan.

What to notice

The clear water reveals a rocky, sparsely vegetated lake bed. The shoreline fluctuates as the lake level rises and falls by 10 to 15 metres over the year; the small island near shore can become a peninsula as beaches change width. The Rio Secco inlet is a protected wetland habitat.

Context and history

Trentino’s local reserves use community management to protect small natural areas. Lake Tenno’s reserve is managed under a municipal plan with regional institutional support. Tenno is one of ten municipalities in the Alpi Ledrensi e Judicaria UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which extends from the Brenta Dolomites to Lake Garda.