Lake Santa is a lake of natural origin, artificially regulated at the beginning of the last century. To be precise, a first earth dam had already been built in the Venetian era to allow the lake to be used as a storage basin for the Cansiglio timber which, along the “Rai” channel emissary of the lake to the north, was made to flow towards the river Piave and from there to Venice.
The whole lake is in the Natura 2000 Network as a Site of Community Importance (SIC) No. IT3230047. Within its perimeter there is a particularly interesting riparian area called the Sbarai Oasis.

The Oasis covers over 30 hectares and is an important wintering area for water birds who use it as a resting place during the pass. There is the presence of rare and threatened species, which need adequate protection. We are talking about a vast lake and marsh area (called Sbarai), where, relating to the variations of the water level, different environments can be identified. There are perennially humid areas and others periodically flooded, both of great naturalistic value. It is one of the most important provincial sites for birdlife in the wetlands. Although very popular for the most varied activities, the lake, as a whole, maintains high environmental values, especially in certain areas that make it very interesting also from an environmental point of view and for the observation of the local fauna.
This is the ideal habitat for the wintering of many species of birds such as the Little Grebe, the Lapwing, the Cannaiola, the

Forapaglie, the Pendolino and again the Gray Heron, the White Stork and the Long-tailed Labbo. The oasis is easily reachable by following a flat path and crossing a magnificent pedestrian bridge parallel to the road that leads to Farra d’Alpago. Along the itinerary it is possible to admire, amongst the others, splendid specimens of the white willow tree of monumental size, and it is also possible to walk comfortably while also practicing birdwatching thanks to the numerous wooden posts built along the route.