Lake Sevan
Lake Sevan (Armenian: Սևանա լիճ, romanized: Sevana lich) is the largest body of water in both Armenia and the Caucasus region. It is one of the largest freshwater high-altitude (alpine) lakes in Eurasia. The lake is situated in Gegharkunik Province, at an altitude of 1,900 m (6,234 ft) above sea level. The total surface area of its basin is about 5,000 km2 (1,900 sq mi), which makes up 1⁄6 of Armenia's territory. The lake itself is 1,242 km2 (480 sq mi), and the volume is 32.8 km3 (7.9 cu mi). It is fed by 28 rivers and streams. Only 10% of the incoming water is drained by the Hrazdan River, while the remaining 90% evaporates.
| Lake Sevan | |
|---|---|
Aerial view of the lake | |
Lake Sevan Lake Sevan Lake Sevan Lake Sevan | |
| Location | Gegharkunik Province, Armenia |
| Coordinates | 40°19′N 45°21′E |
| Primary inflows | 28 rivers and streams |
| Primary outflows | evaporation: 85–90%, Hrazdan River: 10–15% |
| Basin countries | Armenia |
| Managing agency | Ministry of Environment |
| Max. length | 74 km (46 mi) |
| Max. width | 32 km (20 mi) |
| Surface area | 1,242 km2 (480 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 26.8 m (88 ft) |
| Max. depth | 79.4 m (260 ft) |
| Water volume | 33.2 km3 (26,900,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Salinity | 0.7% |
| Surface elevation | 1,900.44 m (6,235.0 ft) (2012) |
| Islands | formerly 1 (now a peninsula) |
| Sections/sub-basins | 2 (Major Sevan, Minor Sevan) |
| Settlements | Gavar, Sevan, Martuni, Vardenis |
| Designations | |
|---|---|
IUCN Category II (National Park) | |
| Official name | Sevan National Park |
| Designated | 14 March 1978 |
Ramsar Wetland | |
| Official name | Lake Sevan |
| Designated | 6 July 1993 |
| Reference no. | 620 |
Sevan has significant economic, cultural, and recreational value. Its sole major island (now a peninsula) is home to a medieval monastery. The lake provides some 90% of the fish and 80% of the crayfish catch of Armenia.
Sevan was heavily exploited for irrigation of the Ararat plain and hydroelectric power generation during the Soviet period. Consequently, its water level decreased by around 20 m (66 ft) and its volume reduced by more than 40%. Later, two tunnels were built to divert water from highland rivers, which halted its decline and its level began rising. Before human intervention dramatically changed the lake's ecosystem, the lake was at an altitude of 1,916 m (6,286 ft) above sea level, 95 m (312 ft) deep, covered an area of 1,416 km2 (547 sq mi) (5% of Armenia's entire area), and had a volume of 58.5 km3 (14.0 cu mi).