Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 05:22, 7 August 2016

Sawa lake (Template:Lang-ar) is an Endorheic basin located in the Iraqi governorate of Muthanna near to the Euphrates River, some 23 kilometres (14 mi) to the west of Al-Samawa city. This lake has no inlet or outlet but,its feeds water from Euphrates through a system of joint cracks and fissures which transport water to aquifers beneath it. water's level fluctuates during dry and wet seasons. Water does not dry up because of the equilibrium state between water feed and evaporation.

Description

Lake Sawa is a unique body of water in Iraq since characterized by highest salinity value among Iraqi inland bodies water. Lake has longitudinal shape with 4.47 km, long and 1.77 km wide.The water level in the lake is one of the manifestations of the lake, which gives something of aesthetic and strangeness. Strangeness reflected the fact that the water level in the lake is higher than the adjacent land around the lake by 1-4 meters . Add to that, the water level of the lake is also higher than the water level of the Euphrates River by 5-7 meters which flow near the lake to the east side and the Shat Al-Arab and Persian Gulf by 17-20 m. A formations of gypsum are surrounding the lake, in some cases these a gypsum formations reach 6 m tall. They are formed due to evaporation of salty water and sedimentation of salt in shallow banks of lake.A formations of gypsum works as a dam prevent water flow from the lake on surrounding areas.

Climate

Sawa lake is characterized by arid climate. Highest and lowest temperatures are ranges between (27.6– 44.6) °C. Mean annual rainfall is 110 mm per year, highest values of evaporation occur during July (506 mm) while lowest values occurring in January (89 mm). Overall wind direction is a North-West with speed of 4.1 m/s.

Flora and fauna

Because of its saline water, no plants grow in the lake or on its shores. Fish and algae are the most important aquatic organisms. One kind of fish lives in Sawa lake, the Arabian toothcarp of the genus Aphanius, Cyprinodontidatae family, characterized by its soft appearance, small size (they do not exceed 10 cm), and eyes that quickly disappear after death. Also there are Pomatiopsis tryon which is Gastropoda genus and lives in brackish water from Oligocene age to recent times, particularly on the lake bottom.

Unlike scarce aquatic organisms, Sawa lake rich with birds,25 spices of resident and immigrant birds were observed in Sawa Lake and the surrounding areas. the lake held large numbers of waterfowl, mainly ducks and coot (Fulica atra). The endemic race of little grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis) and the Mesopotamian crow (Corvus cornix capellanus) occur, as well as the near-endemic grey hypocolius. Locals and hunters reported the frequent occurrence of “different kinds of raptors” especially in spring and autumn, so the site may be important as a staging area.

The desert area on the western side of the lake, the fresh wetland strip (represented by the western branch of Euphrates River including the orchards), and the flat arid/semi-desert areas over the southern parts of the lake might harbor considerable wildlife diversity, mammals present include Rüppell's fox, striped hyena (near-threatened), honey badger, and Indian gray mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii). Reptiles found included: Water snake (maybe Natrix tessellata).

Environmental Concerns

AS Sawa Lake represents a unique, closed water body in Iraq it is an important site to protect for its scientific, educational and biodiversity value. Only human intrusion was considered a high threat because Sawa Lake is the only water body available for the city of Samawa and its surroundings. It is a popular picnic area but this has caused a great deal of garbage accumulation everywhere around the lake. There appears to be no effort by visitors or government to manage or remove garbage from the site. Because there is no plant cover on the lake (reed beds, etc.), water birds have few places to shelter from visitors or hunters. Three threats were classified as ‘high’:urban expansion (the team was informed that the lake are was submitted for an investment project which might involve new construction around the lake); hunting, primarily represented by fishing (mainly netting) and hunting of birds, and pollution caused by the frequent visitors. Other threats (agriculture, resource extraction, transportation & service corridors, and natural systems modification) were considered ‘low’.

References

1. "Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus".
2. "Iraqi Academic Scientific journal".
3. Iraqi Meteorological Organization., 2012: Climate data of recorded in Al-Sammwa station forperiod from (1990-2011)
4. ^ "Sawa Lake and the surrounding area (MT1)" (PDF).

External links

• Map of Sawa lake

• Iraq

v t e Iraq topics
History Chronology Ubaid period Hassuna culture Halaf culture Halaf-Ubaid Transitional period Samarra culture Uruk period Jemdet Nasr period Sumer Subartu Akkadian Empire Gutian dynasty Neo-Sumerian Empire Isin-Larsa period First Babylonian Empire Old Assyrian Period Middle Assyrian Empire Kassite dynasty of the Babylonian Empire Simurrum culture Babylonia Assyria Neo-Assyrian Empire Neo-Babylonian Empire Babylonian captivity Fall of Babylon Achaemenid Assyria Seleucid Babylonia Parthian Babylonia Sassanid Asorestan 638–1958 Muslim conquest of Mesopotamia Umayyad Caliphate Abbasid Caliphate Buyid dynasty Qara Qoyunlu Aq Qoyunlu Safavids Ottoman Iraq (incl. Mamluk dynasty) Mandate for Mesopotamia Mandatory Iraq Kingdom of Iraq Kings Arab Federation Republic 1958–1968 1968–2003 2003–2011 2011–present Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party – Iraq Region (National Command) Saddam Hussein Iraqi–Kurdish conflict 1974–1975 Shatt al-Arab clashes 1977 Shia uprising in Iraq 1979–1980 Shia uprising in Iraq Weapons of mass destruction Iran–Iraq War Operation Opera Invasion of Kuwait Gulf War 1991 uprisings Sanctions Iraq War U.S. invasion Iraqi insurgency U.S. troop withdrawal Insurgency (2011–2013) War (2014–2017) Fall of Mosul Mosul liberation Insurgency 2019–2021 protests 2021–2022 Iraqi political crisis
Geography Faw peninsula Upper Mesopotamia Lower Mesopotamia Borders Euphrates river Hamrin Mountains Iraqi Kurdistan Lakes Islands Mesopotamia Mesopotamian Marshes Persian Gulf Places Shatt al-Arab Syrian Desert Tigris river Umm Qasr Zagros Mountains Wildlife Sinjar Mountains
Politics Administrative divisions Constitution Council of Representatives (legislative) Democracy Elections Foreign aid Foreign relations Government Council of Ministers Presidency Council President List Prime Minister List Human rights in pre-Saddam Iraq in Saddam Hussein's Iraq in post-invasion Iraq in ISIL-controlled territory LGBT Freedom of religion Women Law Military Police Political parties Judiciary Wars and conflicts
Economy Banks Central Bank Companies Corruption Dinar (currency) Infrastructure Foreign Investment Oil Industry Oil reserves Reconstruction Stock Exchange Telecommunications Transportation Airlines Railways Tourism
Society Demographics Iraqis Languages Mesopotamian Arabic Aramaic Kurdish Iraqi Turkmen/Turkoman dialects Persian Minorities Armenians Assyrians Circassians Kurds Mandaeans Marsh Arabs Persians Solluba Iraqi Turkmen/Turkoman Jews Religion Secularism Islam Christianity Mandaeism Yazidis Irreligion General Art Cinema Cuisine Culture Literature Education Health Media Television Music Smoking Sports Squatting Public holidays Mesopotamian spring festival (Akitu) Mandaean New Year
Category Portal WikiProject Commons

• Geography of Iraq
• Endorheic lakes of Asia
• Extreme points of Earth
• Saline lakes
• Lakes of Iraq