Let's enjoy and respect Lake Geneva!

Keep a safe distance from natural environments to avoid disturbing them. The yellow buoys indicate protected areas.

Let's preserve the aquatic plants that tickle our feet, offering shelter and habitat to the fish of these bluish waters.

Let's be discreet and stand back. Gravel islands are a haven of peace for birds.

Together, let's respect and protect nature by keeping dogs on a leash and picking up litter.
Are you familiar with the sensitive natural environments along Lake Geneva?
Reed beds
Reedbeds border the lake in only a few places. Made up of large herbaceous plants - such as common reeds - with their feet in the water and their heads in the sun, they provide a refuge for all kinds of animals that come to feed, rest, hide or nest.
This is the case for lake birds such as the great crested grebe, marsh harrier, red-winged warbler and little bittern (a kind of miniature heron). Dragonflies also thrive in the reeds during their breeding season.
Fish such as pike, tench, venger and roach are regular visitors to the reed beds. Pike hide between the reeds to surprise their prey.
Aquatic grass beds
Elegantly undulating with the water's movements, lake meadows form large underwater meadows that provide shelter and food for many species of birds, such as coots and ruddy dace, and fish, such as perch and pike. Their fry camouflage, feed and are sometimes eaten here.
Herbariums are composed of macrophytes, large aquatic plants rooted in the bottom, while algae live freely in the open water and are not visible to the naked eye. The perfoliate pondweed grows to several meters in height and can be recognized by its heart-shaped leaves; the shiny pondweed has large translucent leaves and its presence indicates nutrient-rich waters; the characeae, on the other hand, form a carpet at the bottom of the water and are indicative of better-quality waters.
River mouths
Where lake and river meet, river mouths are particularly rich in biodiversity, with both lake and river fauna and flora.
The rivers carry stones and sand that settle at the confluence with the lake, creating ephemeral islands essential to the survival of small wading birds - such as the redshank - that stop off on their migration.
In the water, the small sculpin hides among the rocks, while lake trout migrate to the tributaries. On the water, great crested grebes, kingfishers and common terns take advantage of fish-filled waters to fish. In the water or on the shore, at dusk or dawn, you may be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of a beaver.
Alluvial forests
River arms, isolated pools, sand islands, gravel bars, tall grasses, dense bushes and forests: this is the landscape of alluvial forests. Floods constantly modify the contours of these forests, creating a wide variety of habitats for fauna and making them important biodiversity hotspots.
You might see a kingfisher diving for fish, the teeth marks left by beavers on tree trunks, or a goosander looking for a tree cavity to breed in!
Near the water, in areas that are often flooded, softwood trees grow: willows, alders and poplars. Further out, hardwood trees such as ash, maple and elm, as well as beech, oak and spruce, are found in areas that are rarely flooded.
Stony beaches
Pebble beaches seem to be an unwelcoming place for wildlife. Yet they provide migratory waterbirds with a welcome stopover to rest and feed.
In spring, when the waters of Lake Geneva are low, these gravel banks expand, and if the water is shallow - as in the bay of Excenevex, near Yvoire - they become a veritable paradise for waders. These small wading birds use their long beaks to search the sand and catch crustaceans.
The period between autumn and spring is the best time to observe wildlife, with large colonies of scaups on the water. On the shore, you'll find several species of birds, such as the small gravelot and the turnstone - named after the fact that it turns stones and plant debris with its beak to flush out its prey.
The natural environment of Lake Geneva on video
In collaboration with FabWildPix
Mouths, a rich and important environment for Lake Geneva
Macrophytes, the often misunderstood lake grass beds that are often mistaken for algae, and the living species that inhabit the bottom of Lake Geneva.
The reed beds of Lake Geneva: a rare and fragile natural jewel, and a few precautions to take if you paddle.
Campaigns in favour of natural environments | Practical advice for leisure water activities
On the water with respect
The relationship between nature sports and disturbance of wildlife and habitats by "Nature & Loisirs".
#standuppaddle #canoë
Stand-up paddle with respect for nature
Tips and information from Vogelwarte.ch to limit disturbance of birds and other wildlife
#standuppaddle
For safe entertainment | Tips and rules
Swimming maxims
Swimming maxims from lifeguards to keep you safe on, in and around the water.
#swimming
Sound advice for water sports
Six basic rules formulated by the occupational health and safety unit of the canton of Vaud.
#baignade #canotspneumatiques
Navigation regulations on Lake Geneva
Rules of navigation and practice of nautical activities provided by the DDT Haute-Savoie.
#navigation #activitésnautiques
Risk-free paddling
A successful outing: preparation, equipment and compliance with navigation rules by the Vaud Cantonal Police.
#standuppaddle