Phewa Lake

Phewa Lake, Phewa Tal or Fewa Lake (Nepali: फेवा ताल, [ˈpʰewa tal]) is a freshwater lake in Nepal formerly called Baidam Tal located in the south of the Pokhara Valley that includes Pokhara city; parts of Sarangkot and Kaskikot. The lake is stream-fed but a dam regulates the water reserves, therefore, the lake is classified as semi-natural freshwater lake.[1] It is the second largest lake in Nepal; the largest in Gandaki Pradesh after the Rara lake in the comparison to Nepal's water bodies.[2] It is the most popular and most visited lake of Nepal. It is the only lake in Nepal to have a templeTal Barahi Temple at the central part of lake. Phewa lake is located at an altitude of 742 m (2,434 ft) and covers an area of about 4.43 km2 (1.7 sq mi).[3] It has an average depth of about 8.6 m (28 ft) and a maximum depth of 24 m (79 ft).[4] Maximum water capacity of the lake is approximately 43,000,000 cubic metres (35,000 acre⋅ft).[5] The Annapurna range on the north is only about 28 km (linear distance) away[6] from the lake. The lake is also famous for the reflection of mount Machhapuchhre and other mountain peaks of the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri ranges on its surface.[7] The Tal Barahi Temple is situated on an island in the lake.[8] It is located 4 km from the city's centre Chipledhunga.

Phewa Lake
Reflection of the Annapurna Range on Phewa Lake
Phewa Lake
Location in Nepal
LocationKaski
Coordinates28°12′51″N 83°56′50″E
Lake typeFreshwater
Native nameफेवा ताल
Baidam Tal
Primary inflowsHarpan, Adheri khola & Phirke Khola
Catchment area122.53 km2 (47.31 sq mi)
Basin countriesNepal
Max. length4 km (2.5 mi)
Max. width2 km (1.2 mi)
Surface area4.43 km2 (1.7 sq mi)
Average depth8.6 m (28 ft)
Max. depth24 m (79 ft)
Water volume0.046 km3 (0.011 cu mi)
Surface elevation742 m (2,434 ft)
FrozenDoes not freeze
IslandsTal Barahi (तालबाराही), Temple
SettlementsPokhara, Sarangkot, Kaskikot, Dhikurpokhari
Sunset over Phewa Lake

Origin

An analysis of lake sediments reveals its age to be BC 12640 - 12025. However Phewa lake is regarded to be formed during circa 13000 BC.[9]

Lake economy

Phewa lake and water sports is one of the major tourist attraction of Pokhara city and the north shore of the lake has developed into a tourist district, commonly called Lakeside, with hotels, restaurants and bars catering to the tourists.[10] The water from Phewa lake's outlet is used to generate electricity. The Phewa Power House is located about 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from the southern part of the Phewa lake.[11] A part of the lake is also used as commercial caged fisheries.[12]

Major Attraction
Tal Barahi Temple lying in the center of Phewa lake, Pokhara
  • Tal Barahi Temple, located at the center of Phewa Lake, is the most important religious monument of Pokhara.This two-storied pagoda is believed to be dedicated to one of the Hindu gods known as Vishnu. It usually gets crowded on Saturdays.
  • Baidam is the eastern banks of Phewa lake also known as Lakeside. This part contains seemingly endless strip of hotels, lodges, restaurants, bookshops and souvenir shops. This side is one of the best known tourist area of Nepal. It is also the starting point of the tour to Pokhara.[13]
  • Sarangkot and paragliding, Sarangkot is the only one place in Nepal for paragliding, from where you can fly over the Fewa lake.
  • sunset view in Phewa lake
  • reflection of Himalayas in the lake
  • boating in Phewa lake
  • Canoes in Phewa Lake

See also

References
  1. Shrestha, P; Janauer, G. A. (2001). "Management of Aquatic Macrophyte Resource: A Case of Phewa Lake, Nepal" (PDF). Environment and Agriculture: Biodiversity, Agriculture and Pollution in South Asia. Ecological Society (ECOS): 99–107. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-01. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  2. Aryal, Vijay (28 October – 2 November 2007). "Phewa Lake Watershed Area: A Study on the Challenges to Human Encroachment" (PDF). Proceedings of Taal 2007: The 12th World Lake Conference, Jaipur, India. International Lake Environment Committee: 2292–2299.
  3. Rai, Ash Kumar (2000). "Evaluation of natural food for planktivorous fish in Lakes Phewa, Begnas, and Rupa in Pokhara Valley, Nepal". Limnology. 1 (2): 81–89. doi:10.1007/s102010070014. S2CID 23782376.
  4. Shrestha, Purushottam (2003). "Conservation and management of Phewa Lake ecosystem, Nepal" (PDF). Aquatic Ecosystem Health and Management Society. pp. 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  5. Pokharel, Shailendra (2003). "Lessons from Nepal on Developing a Strategic Plan for the Integrated Lake Basin Management: Conservation of Phewa Lake of Pokhara, Nepal" (PDF). International Lake Environment Committee: World Lake Database. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  6. Gulia, K. S. (2007). "Himalayan Treks in Nepal". Discovering Himalaya: Tourism of Himalayan Region. Delhi, India: Isha Books. p. 63. ISBN 978-81-8205-410-3.
  7. Giri, Bikash; Chalise, Mukesh Kumar (2008). "Seasonal Diversity and Population Status of Waterbirds in Phewa Lake, Pokhara, Nepal". Journal of Wetlands Ecology. 1 (1/2): 3–7. doi:10.3126/jowe.v1i1.1568.
  8. Shrestha, Nanda R. (1997). "Pot Goes Pop on Kathmandu's Freak Street". In the Name of Development: A Reflection on Nepal. Lanham, Maryland: University Press of America. p. 163. ISBN 0-7618-0758-6.
  9. Yoshida, M.; Konagaya, Y.; Suganuma, Y.; Ito, T.; Upreti, B.N. (2005-10-01). "Field Workshop on Geology and Natural Hazards Along the Kaligandaki Valley, Central–West Nepal Himalaya". Gondwana Research. 8 (4): 631–634. doi:10.1016/s1342-937x(05)71168-0. ISSN 1342-937X.
  10. Gurung, Tek B.; Wagle, Suresh K.; Bista, Jay D.; Dhakal, Ram P.; Joshi, Purushottam L.; Batajoo, Rabindra; Adhikari, Pushpa; Rai, Ash K. (2005). "Participatory fisheries management for livelihood improvement of fishers in Phewa Lake, Pokhara, Nepal". Himalayan Journal of Sciences. 3 (5). ISSN 1727-5210.
  11. Rai, Ash Kumar (2008). "Environmental Impact from River Damming for Hydroelectric Power Generation and Means of Mitigation" (PDF). Hydro Nepal. Journal of Water, Energy and Environment. 1 (2): 22–25. doi:10.3126/hn.v1i0.881. ISSN 1998-5452. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-02-03. Retrieved 2012-04-25.
  12. Pantha, M. B. (19–21 October 1994). "Sustainable Development of Inland Fisheries Under Environmental Constraints in Nepal". Regional Symposium on Sustainable Development of Inland Fisheries Under Environmental Constraints. Bangkok, Thailand: Indo-Pacific Fishery Commission, IPFC Working Party on Inland Fisheries. FAO Fisheries Report (FIRI/R512 Suppl): 129–140. ISSN 0429-9337.
  13. "SAARC TOURISM Nepal". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-04-07.
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