Tso Moriri

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Tso Moriri
Tso Moriri, Ladakh (34855616204).jpg
View of the Tso Moriri Lake in Leh district (Ladakh)
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Tso Moriri
Location of Tso Moriri
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Tso Moriri
Tso Moriri (India)
Coordinates 32°54′N78°18′E / 32.900°N 78.300°E / 32.900; 78.300
Primary inflows Snow Melt in summer
Designation
Official nameTsomoriri
Designated19 August 2002
Reference no.1213 [1]
Max. length26 km (16 mi)
Max. width5 km (3.1 mi)
Surface area13,500 ha (33,000 acres)
Max. depth105 m (344 ft) [2]
Surface elevation4,522 m (14,836 ft)
Settlements Korzok
Tso Moriri frozen Frozen, Tso Moriri.jpg
Tso Moriri frozen
Buddhist shrine. On the banks of Tso Moriri, Leh district, Ladkah, 2010 Buddhist shrine. On the banks of Tso Moriri, Ladkah, 2010.jpg
Buddhist shrine. On the banks of Tso Moriri, Leh district, Ladkah, 2010
Lake Tsomoriri and sign. Lake Tsomoriri and sign.jpg
Lake Tsomoriri and sign.

Tso Moriri or Lake Moriri (Tibetan : ལྷ་མོའི་བླ་མཚོ, Wylie : lha mo bla mtsho) or "Mountain Lake", is a lake in the Changthang Plateau (literally: northern plains) in Leh district of the union territory of Ladakh in India. It is located approx. 219 km from Leh City, capital of Ladakh. The lake and surrounding area are protected as the Tso Moriri Wetland Conservation Reserve.

Contents

The lake is at an altitude of 4,522 m (14,836 ft). It is the largest of the high altitude lakes entirely within India and entirely within Ladakh in this Trans-Himalayan biogeographic region. It is about 16 miles (26 km) north to south in length and two to three miles (3 to 5 km) wide. The lake has no outlet at present and the water is brackish though not very perceptible to taste.

The lake is fed by springs and snow-melt from the adjacent mountains. Most water enters the lake in two major stream systems, one entering the lake from the north, the other from the southwest. Both stream systems include extensive marshes where they enter the lake. It formerly had an outlet to the south, but this has become blocked and the lake has become an endorheic lake. The lake is oligotrophic in nature, and its waters are alkaline.

Accessibility to the lake is largely limited to summer season, though Karzok on the northwest shore and the military facilities on the eastern shores have year-round habitation. [3]

Tourism

Karzok has homestays, Buddhist monastery and lake tourism.

Topography

As per a classification of the Himalayan Lakes done on the basis of their origin, there are four groups and Tso Moriri falls under the third group of "remnant lakes". The classification as reported states: [4]

(i) Glacial lakes which are formed in and around glaciers; (ii) Structural lakes, formed by folds or faults due to movements in earth’s crust (e.g. Nainital lake in Uttarakhand), (iii) Remnant lakes which were originally structural but represent the remnants of vast lakes (e.g., Tso Moriri, Tso Kar, Pangong Tso in Ladakh, and Dal Lake in Kashmir), (iv) Natural dammed lakes i.e., temporary water bodies formed along the river courses due to deposition of rocks or debris e.g. Gohna Tal in Garhwal, Uttarakhand.

The Changthang Plateau in the eastern Ladakh represents a landscape of low productive ecosystems which protects unique floral and faunal species. The area is an extension of the western Tibetan plateau that lies above 4,500 m (14,800 ft) msl and supports diverse but low populations of several globally threatened mammals. [4] The lake's basin could also be categorised as a basin since it is a closed drainage basin that retains water and allows no outflow to other bodies of water such as rivers or oceans.

Tso Moriri, Korzok, in Ladakh. Tso Kiagar Lake Ladakh.jpg
Tso Moriri, Korzok, in Ladakh.
Tso Moriri, Ladakh Tso Moriri, Ladakh.jpg
Tso Moriri, Ladakh

The lake is 20 to 50 kilometers southeast of the elevated valley of the core Rupshu Valley and falls within the greater Rupshu Plateau and valley area. The lake is ringed by mountains rising over 6,000 m (20,000 ft), including Mentok Kangri and Lungser Kangri. "Changpa", the nomadic migratory shepherds (pastoral community) of yak, sheep, goat, and horses of Tibetan origin and who are engaged in trade and work on caravans in Ladakh region, are the main inhabitants of the area. [5] [6] Changpa (Champa) herders use the land of this valley as grazing ground and for cultivation. [4]

The Working Report (2006) of the Planning Commission of the Government of India also reports: [4]

Despite a poor vegetation cover, relatively low standing biomass and high anthropogenic pressure, this area sustains a considerably high livestock population. Steady increase in the livestock population in the area is mainly attributed to influx of nomadic herders from Tibet during recent decades and promotion of Pashmina goat production by the Animal Husbandry Department (AHD) for fine quality under wool (Pashmina). The herders and AHD officials, in recent years have begun to raise concern over degradation of pastures, resultant shortage of forage, and mass mortality of livestock during severe winters.

The Korzok Monastery, on the western bank of the lake is 400 years old and attracts tourists and Buddhist pilgrims. Tourism during May – September attracts large number of foreign and local tourists even though tented accommodation is the facility available, apart from a small PWD guest house close to the Lake. [3] Northeast of Tso Moriri is a small lake which is known locally as Lake of Joy.

Access

The lake is located to the southeast of Leh in eastern Ladakh, at a road distance of 240 kilometres (150 mi). The road is in a good condition for the most part. One can also reach Tsomoriri directly from the Pangong Tso via the remote Changtang region. This is considered to be one of the most beautiful drives in the entire Ladakh region. Foreigners are not allowed to go beyond the Man - Merak villages on Pangong Tso as permits are not issued for them. The distance between Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri is 235 km and there are no petrol pumps in the area. Carrying enough fuel is therefore necessary. Leh is also connected by air with many destinations in India.

Hydrology and water quality

Tso Moriri, Ladakh. 2010 Tso Moriri, Ladakh. 2010.jpg
Tso Moriri, Ladakh. 2010

The lake, with water spread area of 120 km2 (46 sq mi) is enclosed by peaks exceeding 6,000 meters on both the east and west sides. On the south, a nearly flat valley connects with but does not drain into or out of the Pare Chu river which is part of Sutlej river basin. Lingdi Nadi, major tributary of Tso Moriri, drains western catchment area of the lake and joins the lake on its south side. [7] This valley contains the Nuro Sumdo wetlands (with a catchment area of 20 km2 or 7.7 sq mi), a boggy area that mostly drains into the Pare Chu. Several small mountain streams feed the lake, including one through pasture land at Peldo Le. The lake is fed by springs and snow melt and has a maximum depth of 40 m (130 ft). Aridity and cold desert conditions prevail in the lake region; with summer temperature varying from 0° to 30 °C (32° to 86 °F) and winter temperature recording 10° and 40 °C (14° to -40 °F). Geologically the lake is in Ordovician rock. [8] [9]

Fauna and flora

Kiangs in the vicinity of Tso Moriri Lake Kyang at Tsomoriri.jpg
Kiangs in the vicinity of Tso Moriri Lake

An avifaunal survey of the lake and its adjoining Nuro Sumdo wetland conducted in July 1996 revealed the following facts: [8] [9]

Avifauna [10]

Mammals

Large carnivores

Tso Moriri Lake during August Tsomoriri Lake.jpg
Tso Moriri Lake during August

Vegetation

While the deeper parts of the lake have no vegetation, the shallow areas are reported to have Potamogeton sps. Marshes have several species of sedges and reeds, particularly Carex, Caragana and Astragalus sps., which are all representative of the surrounding arid steppe vegetation. Details of the Vegetation recorded in the area comprises the following: [9]

Ramsar site

Largely based on the ecological diversity of the Lake (explained in the previous section) and its surroundings, the Tsomiriri was notified in November 2002 under the List of Ramsar Wetland sites under the Ramsar Convention. The justification could be summarized as: [9]

Threats to the lake

Conservation in Tsomomiri Wetland Conservation, Jammu and Kashmir, India Tsomomiri Wetland Conservation (The Ramsar Site).jpg
Conservation in Tsomomiri Wetland Conservation, Jammu and Kashmir, India
At Tsomoriri there is only one camping site. Sign at Tso Moriri. 2010 At Tsomoriri there is only one camping site. Sign at Tso Moriri. 2010.jpg
At Tsomoriri there is only one camping site. Sign at Tso Moriri. 2010

There are a number of threats to the Lake, such as: [3] [9]

Conservation efforts

The need for evolving a strategy and an action plan to preserve the extreme fragility of the lake ecosystem has been recognized with the needed emphasis at the National and International level to develop the lake conservation activity with participation of all stakeholders. [11] The actions initiated in this direction are:

Tso Moriri is an administratively declared Wetland Reserve. Legally, shooting wildlife is prohibited. The State Department of Wildlife has set up a check post near Mahe Bridge at the entrance towards the lake. [8] [9] WWF-India Project has established a field office at Korzok on the northwest shore of Tso Moriri for ‘Conservation of High Altitude Wetlands in Ladakh Region’ to carry out surveys, interact with tourists, tour guides, act as information centre and conduct education awareness programmes for locals, tourists etc.

Wildlife Institute of India has also set up a field station at Leh to carry out scientific research in the region. Nature clubs have been set up and Information booklet on the lake published. Efforts of WWF – India has also resulted in the local community declaring Tso Moriri as a ‘Sacred Gift for a Living Planet’ during the Annual Conference held in Nepal in November 2000. [9]

Some of the other achievements so far reported on the Lake's conservation are: [11]

The Indian Army has committed to support and set up a Nature Interpretation Centre at 'Hall of Fame', Leh.

World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) role

World Wildlife Fund for Nature India (WWF-India) is spearheading the efforts at conservation of the Tso Moriri lake in particular, and the Ladakh region in general. WWF's activities as a NGO have spanned more than 30 years. The main objective set by WWF is [12] the main activities planned for the Tso Moriri and other wetlands in Ladakh regions are: [11]

The Promotion of Nature Conservation and Environmental Protection as the Basis for Sustainable and Equitable Development.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ladakh</span> Region administered by India

Ladakh is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India and China since 1959. Ladakh is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region to the east, the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh to the south, both the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan to the west, and the southwest corner of Xinjiang across the Karakoram Pass in the far north. It extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the north to the main Great Himalayas to the south. The eastern end, consisting of the uninhabited Aksai Chin plains, is claimed by the Indian Government as part of Ladakh, and has been under Chinese control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pangong Tso</span> Soda lake located in India and Tibet

Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is an endorheic lake spanning eastern Ladakh and West Tibet situated at an elevation of 4,225 m (13,862 ft). It is 134 km (83 mi) long and divided into five sublakes, called Pangong Tso, Tso Nyak, Rum Tso and Nyak Tso. Approximately 50% of the length of the overall lake lies within Tibet administered by China, 40% in Ladakh, India and the remaining 10% is disputed and is a de facto buffer zone between India and China. The lake is 5 km (3.1 mi) wide at its broadest point. All together it covers almost 700 km2. During winter the lake freezes completely, despite being saline water. It has a land-locked basin separated from the Indus River basin by a small elevated ridge, but is believed to have been part of the latter in prehistoric times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nubra</span> Region in Ladakh, India

Nubra, also called Dumra, is a historical region of Ladakh, India that is currently administered as a subdivision and a tehsil in the Leh district. Its inhabited areas form a tri-armed valley cut by the Nubra and Shyok rivers. Its Tibetan name Dumra means "valley of flowers". Demands have been raised and BJP has hinted at creation of Nubra as a new district. Diskit, the headquarters of Nubra, is 120 km north of Leh, the capital of Ladakh.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hemis National Park</span> National Park in Ladakh, India

Hemis National Park is a high-elevation national park in Ladakh, India. Globally famous for its snow leopards, it is believed to have the highest density of them in any protected area in the world. It is the only national park in India that is north of the Himalayas, the largest notified protected area in India and is the second largest contiguous protected area, after the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve and surrounding protected areas. The park is home to a number of species of endangered mammals, including the snow leopard. Hemis National Park is India's protected area inside the Palearctic realm, outside the Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary northeast of Hemis, and the proposed Tso Lhamo Cold Desert Conservation Area in North Sikkim.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Ladakh</span> Aspect of geography

Ladakh is an administrative territory of India that has been under its control since 1947. The geographical region of Ladakh union territory is the highest altitude plateau region in India, incorporating parts of the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges and the upper Indus River and valley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Ladakh</span>

Ladakh is the home to endemic Himalayan wildlife, such as the bharal, yak, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan wolf and the iconic snow leopard. Hemis National Park, Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary, and Karakorum Wildlife Sanctuary are protected wildlife areas of Ladakh. The Mountain Institute, the Ladakh Ecological Development Group and the Snow Leopard Conservancy work on ecotourism in rural Ladakh. For such an elevated, arid area, Ladakh has great diversity of birds — 318 species have been recorded. Many of these birds reside at or seasonally breed in high-altitude wetlands, such as Tso Moriri, or near rivers and water sources.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Changtang</span> North-West Tibet geographic highland

The Changtang is a part of the high altitude Tibetan Plateau in western and northern Tibet extending into the southern edges of Xinjiang as well as southeastern Ladakh, India, with vast highlands and giant lakes. From eastern Ladakh, the Changtang stretches approximately 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) east into Tibet as far as modern Qinghai. The Changtang is home to the Changpa, a nomadic Tibetan people. The two largest settlements within the Tibetan Changtang are Rutog Town the seat of Rutog County and Domar Township the seat of Shuanghu County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Ladakh</span>

Tourism is one of an economic contributor to the union territory of Ladakh in Northern India. The union territory is sandwiched between the Karakoram mountain range to the north and the Himalayas to the south and is situated at the height of 11,400 ft. Ladakh is composed of the Leh and Kargil districts. The region contains prominent Buddhist sites and has an ecotourism industry.

Rupshu is a high elevation plateau and valley and an eponymous community development block in southeast Ladakh. It is between the Startsapuk Tso and Tso Moriri, and west of Mahe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karzok</span> Village in Ladakh, India

Karzok or Korzok is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located close to Nyoma, in the Rupshu region and block, on the shores of the Tso Moriri lake. It is among the highest towns in the world and the highest settlement in India. Various sources give slightly different measurements of the altitude from 14,995 ft to 15,075 ft above sea level. The Drukpa Buddhist Korzok Monastery is located here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Korzok Monastery</span>

Korzok, དཀོར་མཛོད་ is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery belonging to the Drukpa Lineage. It is located in the Korzok village, on the northwestern bank of Tso Moriri, a lake in Leh District of Ladakh, a union territory of India. The gompa (monastery), at 4,560 metres (14,960 ft), houses a Shakyamuni Buddha and other statues. It is home to about seventy monks.

The Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary is a high altitude wildlife sanctuary located in the Ladakhi adjunct of the Changthang plateau in the Leh District of the union territory of Ladakh. It is important as one of the few places in India with a population of the Kiang or Tibetan Wild Ass, as well as the rare Black-necked Crane. Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 4000 km2.

Chushul is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Durbuk tehsil, in the area known as "Chushul Valley", south of the Pangong Lake and west of the Spanggur Lake. The Line of Actual Control with China runs about 5 miles east of Chushul, across the Chushul Valley. Famous as site for historical battle grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tso Kar</span> Ramsar wetland in India

The Tso Kar or Tsho kar is a fluctuating salt lake known for its size and depth situated in the Rupshu Plateau and valley in the southern part of Ladakh in India. It is also recognised as India's 42nd Ramsar site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khurnak Fort</span> Ruined fort in eastern Ladakh

The Khurnak Fort is a ruined fort on the northern shore of Pangong Lake, which spans eastern Ladakh in India and Rutog County in the Tibet region of China. The area of the Khurnak Fort is disputed by India and China, and has been under Chinese administration since 1958.

All Ladakh Gonpa Association (ALGA) is the central organisation of the Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh, India. It aims to preserve and strengthen the monastic institutions. It was founded by the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche in 1949 and he acted as its president for 41 years, from 1949 until 1991. In 1949, the first meeting of the great monasteries was held and ten monasteries took part. All Ladakh Gonpa Association was registered in 1959 and is run by a governing body consisting of fifteen lama members belonging to all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. There are sixteen major monastic institutions with hundreds of monks in each monastery.

Tangtse or Drangtse (Tibetan: བྲང་རྩེ, Wylie: brang rtse, THL: drang tsé) is a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Durbuk tehsil. Traditionally, it was regarded as the border between the Nubra region to the north and the Pangong region to the south. It was a key halting place on the trade route between Turkestan and Tibet. It was also a site of wars between Ladakh and Tibet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karu, Ladakh</span> Village in Ladakh, India

Kharu also spelt Karu, is a town, subdivision, tehsil, block, tourist station and military base on the bank of Indus River in the Leh district of Union territory of Ladakh in India. It is located 34 km southeast of Leh on Leh-Manali Highway and under-construction Bhanupli–Leh line. Karu is one of the important railway station and military's railway logistics hub on the under construction Bhanupli–Leh line of Indian Railway. Karu is an important transit point where several strategic and important road arterial and feeder routes of India-China Border Roads meet, such as Leh-Manali Highway, Leh-Nyoma road, Hamis-Karo-Pangong Tso road, etc.

Kyagar Tso or Kyagar Lake is a small brackish lake surrounded by mountains situated in the Ladakh region of the northern Indian Union Territory of Ladakh in India. From afar, it can be spotted by its turquoise colour.

Spangmik is a settlement on the southern bank of the Pangong Lake in Ladakh, India. It is located between Lukung and Man. Tourists visiting the Pangong Lake in India are allowed to travel up to Spangmik, beyond which it is considered sensitive border area with China.

References

  1. "Tsomoriri". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. Mishra, Praveen K.; Anoop, A.; Schettler, G.; Prasad, Sushma; Jehangir, A.; Menzel, P.; Naumann, R.; Yousuf, A.R.; Basavaiah, N.; Deenadayalan, K.; Wiesner, M.G.; Gaye, B. (June 2015). "Reconstructed late Quaternary hydrological changes from Lake Tso Moriri, NW Himalaya". Quaternary International. 371: 76–86. Bibcode:2015QuInt.371...76M. doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2014.11.040 . Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "WWF - Tsomoriri". Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2009. Tso Moriri
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Report of the Task Force On the Mountain Ecosystems, Environment and Forest Sector, for Eleventh Five Year Plan 20072012" (PDF). Planning Commission. November 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 April 2013.
  5. https://www.holidaymoods.in/trip-to-leh-ladakh Tsomoriri lake trecks
  6. http://www.eastmanvoyages.com/tour-options/rumtse-tsomoriri.html Rumtse - Tso Moriri Trek
  7. "Upper Sutlej basin area" (PDF). Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 18 September 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link). The brackish water of the lake has NaC1 less than 5.85 g/L, measured in mid-summer.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2011. Retrieved 27 October 2008.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. Khan, Asif (2016). "Ladakh: The Land Beyond". Buceros: 20 Issue 3.
  11. 1 2 3 "WWF - Conservation of High Altitude Wetlands in Ladakh". Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2008. Conservation of High Altitude Wetlands in Ladakh
  12. "Non Governmental Organisations". Reach Ladakh Bulletin. Archived from the original on 1 November 2008. Retrieved 27 October 2008.