The water level of Lake Koroneia, near Thessaloniki, has plunged to a record low of 1 meter, causing a buildup of harmful bacteria that is threatening local wildlife, environmentalists warned yesterday.

If the current lack of rainfall continues, we may witness a similar crisis to the one which hit the lake in 2004, when some 30,000 birds and hundreds of fish were killed by pollutants, according to Savvas Anastassiadis, who heads the crisis management team overseeing lakes Koroneia and Volvi.

Environmental experts and local authorities are coordinating their efforts to monitor the lake and crack down on illegal water drilling and garbage disposal, Anastassiadis told reporters in Thessaloniki. Water samples will also be taken regularly, he said, adding that anyone seeing dead birds near the lake should directly notify the authorities.