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Pinho et al. (1988) cit Gomes Andrade escreve, em relação à Pateira, que o vale do Certoma, naquele ponte era dantes terreno firme, coberto de espessos arvoredos, por entre os quais o rio mansamente deslizava.
Também Morais em Sousa Batista (1945) cita um excerto de uma carta do almoxarife de Aveiro a D. Manuel em que fala da Mata de Perrães (eventualmente compreendida entre Perrães e a frente da freguesia de Fermentelos) dizendo que esta sempre fora coutada para nela se colherem porcos (provavelmente javalis) e veados, referindo ainda que era apaúlada.
Aliás, segundo Pinho et al, 1988, parece admissível supor que se trataria de uma zona bastante rica do ponto de vista faunístico e florístico, muito embora as referências à flora e fauna sejam escassas.
A Pateira ter-se-ia começado a formar em finais do século XV, provavelmente ainda na Idade Média, devido às sucessivas inundações dos rios Certoma e Águeda, e alagamento dos campos ribeirinhos.
Presentemente, a Pateira corresponde ao assoreamento e espraiamento do rio Cértima, perto do local onde desagua no rio Águeda.
A maior lagoa natural da Península Ibérica ocupa actualmente uma área de superfície e profundidade variáveis, de acordo com a estação do ano, que, no seu expoente máximo, atinge mais de 5 Km2. Estes, estendem-se, maioritariamente, pelo concelho de Águeda, abrangendo também o concelho de Aveiro e Oliveira do Bairro.
O termo “Pateira” encerra a especificidade da região do Vouga e afluentes designando, por si só, abundância de patos.
Em termos hidrográficos, a lagoa está compreendida na bacia hidrográfica do rio Cértima a qual, por sua vez, se insere na bacia hidrográfica do rio Águeda e esta, na bacia do rio Vouga.
A lagoa é alimentada pelo rio Cértima (a montante), pela ribeira do Pano (a poente), pontualmente por outras escorrências, e por água subterrânea (sistema aquífero Cretácico de Aveiro), sendo o rio Cértima o principal curso a condicionar a hidrologia.
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Pateira History
Historically, the Pateira must be considered an ancient wide sea-arm where the rivers Cértima, Águeda, and Vouga flowed separately into before the Ria de Aveiro was formed. That sea-arm closed by the silting of the three rivers caused the appearance of a single water course – the river Vouga -, therefore the mouth of the river moved much farther northwest, just like nowadays (Almeida, 2006).
Pinho et al. (1988) cit Gomes Andrade writes about the Pateira, that the Certoma valley at that point used to be firm land, covered by thick woods, amongst which the river flowed carelessly.
Morais in Sousa Baptista (1945) also quotes from of a letter of the royal treasurer of Aveiro to King D. Manuel I where he discusses about the Forest of Perrães (probably between Perrães and the front of the Fermentelos civil parish), saying that this had always been hunting-grounds where wild-hogs (probably boars) and deer were game, also mentioning that it was marshy.
Moreover, according to Pinho e tal, 1988, it seems admissable to suppose the area would have been extremely rich both in terms of fauna and flora, though the references to these are scarce.
The Pateira would have started taking shape at the end of the XVth century, probably even during the Middle Age, because of the recurrent floods on the rivers Certoma and Águeda and their surrounding meadows.
Nowadays, the Pateira corresponds to the silting and spreading of the river Cértima, near the point where it meets the river Águeda.
The largest natural fresh water lake in the Iberian Peninsula presently takes variable areas and assumes different depths, according to the season, which, at its maximum extent, encompasses more than 5 km2. These extend on their vast majority over the municipality of Águeda, but they also include the municipalities of Oliveira do Bairro and Aveiro.
The term Pateira refers to a specificity of the region of the Vouga river and its tributaries, making itself mention to the abundance of ducks.
Hydrographically, the lake is part of the drainage area of the river Cértima, which in its turn is inserted in hydrographical basin of the Águeda, which is part of the hydrographical basin of the river Vouga.
The lake is maintained by the river Cértima (upstream), by the Pano brook (to the west), ocassionanly by other streams, and underground sources (the Aveiro Cretacic acquifer), with the Cértima as the main water course conditioning the lake’s hydrology.
On what pertains to the relief of the terrain, the environs of the Pateira features an easy relief to the west, registering the highest altitude area at 50 meters in Fermentelos (municipality of Águeda).
To the west, in the Espinhel civil parish (check images), there is an elevation reaching 78 meters high, also revealing slopes with some impact, considering the features of the surrounding area. To the northwest, approximately between Oliveirinha and Requeixo (municipality of Aveiro), there is an extent of territory with an altitude between 50 and 70 meters and soft slopes rolling towards the Pateira.
To the southwest, the smooth relief of low altitude harvest fields on the left bank of the river Cértima and Perrães run along the Pateira.
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