
Lake Sevan ( hy, Սևանա լիճ, Sevana lich) is the largest body of water in both
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ...
and the
Caucasus
The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
region. It is one of the largest freshwater
high-altitude (alpine) lakes in
Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelag ...
. The lake is situated in
Gegharkunik Province
Gegharkunik ( hy, Գեղարքունիք, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar.
Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan. It includes the exclave of Artsvash ...
, at an altitude of above sea level. The total surface area of its basin is about , which makes up of Armenia's territory. The lake itself is , and the volume is . It is fed by 28 rivers and streams. Only 10% of the incoming water is drained by the
Hrazdan River
The Hrazdan ( hy, Հրազդան գետ, ) is a major river and the second largest in Armenia. It originates at the northwest extremity of Lake Sevan and flows south through the Kotayk Province and Armenia's capital, Yerevan; the lake in turn is ...
, while the remaining 90% evaporates.
The lake provides some 90% of the fish and 80% of the
crayfish
Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, ...
catch of Armenia. Sevan has significant economic, cultural, and recreational value. Its sole major island (now a peninsula) is home to a
medieval monastery.
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 and its volume reduced by more than 40%. Later two
tunnels
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube const ...
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 above sea level, deep, covered an area of (5% of Armenia's entire area), and had a volume of .
Etymology
Scholars believe that ''Sevan'' originated from the
Urartian
Urartian or Vannic is an extinct Hurro-Urartian language which was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (''Biaini'' or ''Biainili'' in Urartian), which was centered on the region around Lake Van and had its capital, Tushpa, ...
word ''su(i)n(i)a'', usually translated as "lake". The word is found on an 8th-century BC
cuneiform
Cuneiform is a logo- syllabic script that was used to write several languages of the Ancient Middle East. The script was in active use from the early Bronze Age until the beginning of the Common Era. It is named for the characteristic wedg ...
inscription by the
Urartian
Urartian or Vannic is an extinct Hurro-Urartian language which was spoken by the inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of Urartu (''Biaini'' or ''Biainili'' in Urartian), which was centered on the region around Lake Van and had its capital, Tushpa, ...
king
Rusa I
Rusa I (ruled: 735–714 BC) was a King of Urartu. He succeeded his father, king Sarduri II. His name is sometimes transliterated as ''Rusas'' or ''Rusha''. He was known to Assyrians as ''Ursa'' (which scholars have speculated is likely a more ac ...
, found in
Odzaberd
Odzaberd ( hy, Oձաբերդ; meaning "Serpent's Fortress"; formerly Teyseba referring to the Urartian fortification and named after the god Teisheba; also known as Ishkanaberd meaning "Lord's Fortress") is located upon a hill east of the town ...
, on the southern shore of the lake. Per
folk etymology
Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...
, ''Sevan'' is either a combination of ''sev'' ("black") + Van (i.e.,
Lake Van
Lake Van ( tr, Van Gölü; hy, Վանա լիճ, translit=Vana lič̣; ku, Gola Wanê) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the far east of Turkey, in the provinces of Van and Bitlis in the Armenian highlands. It is a saline soda lake, ...
) or ''sev'' ("black") and ''vank’'' ("monastery"). Russian and European sources of the 19th and early 20th century sometimes referred to the lake as ''Sevanga'' or ''Sevang'',
which are likely the Russified version of the Armenian phrase ''sev vank’'' ("black monastery") or, possibly, the Armenian phrase սա է վանքը ''sa ē vank'ə'' ("this is the monastery").
The historical Armenian name of the lake, attested in early medieval texts, is ''Sea of Gegham'' (
classical Armenian: ծով Գեղամայ, ''tsov Geghamay''). In
classical antiquity
Classical antiquity (also the classical era, classical period or classical age) is the period of cultural history between the 8th century BC and the 5th century AD centred on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations ...
, the lake was known as ''Lychnitis'' ( grc, Λυχνῖτις).
The historic
Georgian name of the lake is ''Gelakuni'' (გელაქუნი), which is essentially the Georgian transcription of Armenian ''Gegkarkuni''.
John Chardin
Jean Chardin (16 November 1643 – 5 January 1713), born Jean-Baptiste Chardin, and also known as Sir John Chardin, was a French jeweller and traveller whose ten-volume book ''The Travels of Sir John Chardin'' is regarded as one of the finest ...
, who visited the lake in 1673, called it the "Lake of Erivan" and wrote that it was called ''Deria-Shirin'' (the Sweet Lake) by Persians and ''Kiagar-couni-sou'' by Armenians.
The
Turkic
Turkic may refer to:
* anything related to the country of Turkey
* Turkic languages, a language family of at least thirty-five documented languages
** Turkic alphabets (disambiguation)
** Turkish language, the most widely spoken Turkic language
* ...
name ''Gokcha'' or ''Gökche'', which means "blue lake' appeared in Russian and British sources from the 19th century on.
Significance
Cultural
Along with
Lake Van
Lake Van ( tr, Van Gölü; hy, Վանա լիճ, translit=Vana lič̣; ku, Gola Wanê) is the largest lake in Turkey. It lies in the far east of Turkey, in the provinces of Van and Bitlis in the Armenian highlands. It is a saline soda lake, ...
and
Lake Urmia
Lake Urmia;
az, اۇرمۇ گؤلۆ, script=Arab, italic=no, Urmu gölü;
ku, گۆلائوو رمیەیێ, Gola Ûrmiyeyê;
hy, Ուրմիա լիճ, Urmia lich;
arc, ܝܡܬܐ ܕܐܘܪܡܝܐ is an endorheic salt lake in Iran. The lake is ...
, Sevan is considered one of the three great "seas" of
historic Armenia. It is the only one within the boundaries of present-day Republic of Armenia, while the other two are located in Turkey and Iran, respectively. Lake Sevan is considered the "jewel" of Armenia and is "recognized as a national treasure" in the country. The 2001 Law on Lake Sevan defines the lake as "a strategic ecosystem valuable for its environmental, economical, social, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, medical, climatic, recreational, and spiritual value."
Chardin in 1673 noted the "extraordinary sweetness of the Water", the "small Island in the middle of it; where stands a Monastery built about 600 years ago, of which the Prior is an Archbishop", and "nine sorts of fish which are there taken; the fairest trouts and carps which are eaten at Erivan being caught in this Lake".
Naturalist and traveler
Friedrich Parrot
Johann Jacob Friedrich Wilhelm Parrot (14 October 1791) was a Baltic German naturalist, explorer, and mountaineer, who lived and worked in Dorpat (today Tartu, Estonia) in what was then the Governorate of Livonia of the Russian Empire. A pion ...
, best known for ascending
Mount Ararat
Mount Ararat or , ''Ararat''; or is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in the extreme east of Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest peak in Turkey and the ...
in 1829 for the first time in history, wrote that,
Economic
It is important for the Armenian economy: being the main source of irrigation water, Sevan provides low-cost electricity, fish, recreation, and tourism.
Origin
Sevan originated during the early
Quaternary when a Palaeo-Sevan, ten times larger than the present lake, came into existence by tectonic formation.
The current lake was formed some 25 to 30 thousand years ago.
Human intervention
Exploitation and reduction
Background
Sevan was recognized as being a major potential water resource in the 19th century. Its high altitude location relative to the fertile
Ararat plain and limited energy resources attracted engineers to explore ways of usage of the lake's water. In his 1910 book, Armenian engineer Sukias Manasserian proposed using Sevan's water for irrigation and
hydroelectric power
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined a ...
generation. He proposed draining the lake by . Major Sevan would completely dry out, while Minor Sevan would have a surface area of .
Implementation
Manasserian's proposal was adopted by the Soviet authorities in the 1930s when, under
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
, the country was undergoing rapid
industrialization
Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econ ...
. Works on the project started in 1933. The riverbed of
Hrazdan
Hrazdan ( hy, Հրազդան), is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Kotayk Province, located northeast of the capital Yerevan. As of the 2011 census, the population of the town is 41,875. It ...
was deepened through excavation. A tunnel was bored around under the lake's surface. The tunnel was completed in 1949 and thereafter the Sevan's level began to drop significantly, at a rate over per year. The water was used for irrigation and the
Sevan–Hrazdan Cascade
Sevan–Hrazdan Cascade () is a complex of hydroelectric power plants on the Hrazdan River and its tributaries between the Lake Sevan and Yerevan in Armenia. They use irrigation water flow from the Lake Sevan and streams waters of Hrazdan River. T ...
of six hydroelectric power stations on Hrazdan River.
Effects
During the second half of the 20th century, the ecological condition of Lake Sevan underwent tangible changes and vast degradation due to reduced water level, increased
eutrophication
Eutrophication is the process by which an entire body of water, or parts of it, becomes progressively enriched with minerals and nutrients, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus. It has also been defined as "nutrient-induced increase in phytopla ...
, and detrimental impact of human activity on the biological diversity of the lake. According to Babayan et al. the lake level dropped by by 2002, while the volume decreased by 43.8% (from ). Due to the water level decrease, the quality of the water deteriorated, natural habitats were destroyed that meant
loss of biodiversity
Biodiversity loss includes the worldwide extinction of different species, as well as the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat, resulting in a loss of biological diversity. The latter phenomenon can be temporary or permanent, de ...
. Vardanian wrote that drop of the lake level and the economic development in the basin brought about the change in hydro-chemical regime of the lake. The quality of the water deteriorated, water turbidity increased. The inner circulation of the water constituents as well as the circulation of the biological substances altered.
Reversal and recovery
According to Babayan et al. "by the 1950s it had become evident that the ecological and economic consequences of extensive exploitation of the water of Lake Sevan were too undesirable to continue in the same way."
Arpa–Sevan tunnel
In 1964 a project began to divert the
Arpa River
The Arpa ( hy, Արփա, az, Arpaçay) is a river that flows through Armenia and Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan exclave. It originates in the Vayots Dzor province (''marz'') of Armenia and is a left tributary of the Aras. It is long, and has a drain ...
(from a reservoir near
Kechut) through a long tunnel to the lake near
Artsvanist
Artsvanist ( hy, Արծվանիստ) is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, located to the south of Lake Sevan. In the gorge south of the village is the important early 10th century monastery of Vanevan and a large but broken medieva ...
. The tunnel, called Arpa–Sevan, was completed in 1981. It brings up to of water to Sevan per year.
It is estimated, that due to climate change by year 2030, the outflow of the Arpa river will decrease by 22%.
Vorotan–Arpa tunnel
Since the water level in the lake did not rise as fast and as much, on 20 April 1981 the
Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union
The Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( rus, Совет министров СССР, r=Sovet Ministrov SSSR, p=sɐˈvʲet mʲɪˈnʲistrəf ɛsɛsɛˈsɛr; sometimes abbreviated to ''Sovmin'' or referred to as the '' ...
made a decision for the construction of the Vorotan–Arpa tunnel.
This long tunnel was begun from the Spandarian Reservoir on the
Vorotan River
The Vorotan (), or Bargushad () or Bazarchay ( az, Bazarçay), is a river in Transcaucasia that is the largest right tributary of the Hakari river. The river originates in the mountains of Azerbaijan's Kalbajar District and flows into Armenia's ...
further south from Kechut. Due to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is an ethnic and territorial conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh, inhabited mostly by ethnic Armenians, and seven surrounding districts, inhabited mostly by Azerba ...
and the
1988 earthquake in northwestern Armenia construction was halted. The tunnel was inaugurated on 26 April 2004. The Vorotan–Arpa tunnel brings an additional to the lake annually.
Increase in water level
After the construction of the two tunnels the water level began rising significantly since the mid-2000s. In 2007 it was reported that the water level had risen by in the previous six years. It reached in October 2010. The government committee on Sevan forecasts that the level will reach by 2029.
Water level stood at 1900.44 m in November 2019.
Population

The
Gegharkunik Province
Gegharkunik ( hy, Գեղարքունիք, ) is a province (''marz'') of Armenia. Its capital and largest city is Gavar.
Gegharkunik Province is located at the eastern part of Armenia, bordering Azerbaijan. It includes the exclave of Artsvash ...
, which roughly corresponds to the lake's basin, had a ''de facto'' population of 211,828 according to the 2011 Armenian census. The largest settlements in the province are:
Gavar
Gavar ( hy, Գավառ) is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative centre of Gegharkunik Province. It is situated among the high mountains of Gegham range to the west of Lake Sevan, with an average height o ...
(20,765),
Sevan (19,229),
Martuni (12,894),
Vardenis
Vardenis ( hy, Վարդենիս) is a town and urban municipal community in the southeastern part of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. It is located in the valley of the Masrik River, on the territory of the Masrik artesian basin at above ...
(12,685),
Vardenik (9,880),
Yeranos (6,119),
Chambarak
Chambarak ( hy, Ճամբարակ, ) is a town and urban municipal community in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. Per the 2011 census, the population of the town was 5,850. The municipal community of Chambarak has a population of 12,416 people. ...
(5,660),
Lchashen
Lchashen ( hy, Լճաշեն) is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia.
History
The settlement dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. It has a Bronze Age cemetery, a Urartian Iron Age fortress, and a 13th-century church.
It is an i ...
(5,054),
Tsovagyugh
Tsovagyugh ( hy, Ծովագյուղ) is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia.
History
The village contains church ruins, and upon an egg-shaped hill to the northeast are the remains of an Iron Age fort.
Gallery
Tsovagyugh WW2 ...
(4,189).
Tourism
Beaches
Lake Sevan has the only beaches in Armenia.
They are a popular destination for the Armenians. Sevan's beaches provide a unique experience within the landlocked country for Armenians. The beaches adjacent to hotels are usually privatized.
Numerous beaches are located along the entire lake shore. The most popular of them is a stretch on the northern shore, extending northwest from the peninsula. Resorts include Harsnaqar Hotel, Best Western Bohemian Resort, and numerous smaller facilities. Activities include swimming, sunbathing, jet skiing, windsurfing, and sailing. The area also includes numerous campgrounds and picnic areas for daytime use. A less-developed beach destination stretches along the eastern shore from
Tsovagyugh
Tsovagyugh ( hy, Ծովագյուղ) is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia.
History
The village contains church ruins, and upon an egg-shaped hill to the northeast are the remains of an Iron Age fort.
Gallery
Tsovagyugh WW2 ...
to
Shorzha, with numerous small cabins at Shorzha. The Avan Marak Tsapatagh Hotel, a Tufenkian Heritage Hotel, is a luxury resort on the undeveloped southeastern shore of the lake near
Tsapatagh
Tsapatagh ( hy, Ծափաթաղ) is a resort village in the Shoghakat Municipality of the Gegharkunik Province in Armenia, on the northeastern shore of Lake Sevan.
Geography and nature
The village is located in the vicinity of the Tandzut ri ...
.
The Armenian government pledged to "reduce the growing commercialization of rest at Lake Sevan that makes it unaffordable for most citizens struggling to find other beach options during hot Armenian summers." In 2011 the government established public beaches in the Sevan National Park's recreational zone. The first two public beaches were opened in July. Some 100,000 people visited the public beaches in summer of 2011. The beaches have free parking space, children's and sports playgrounds, toilets, medical aid stations, and rescue services. They are also equipped with beach couches. By 2014, the number of public beaches reached 11. Some 200,000 people took holiday there in 2014.
Tufenkian Avan Marak Tsapatagh hotel.jpg, Tufenkian Avan Marak Tsapatagh Hotel (Tsapatagh
Tsapatagh ( hy, Ծափաթաղ) is a resort village in the Shoghakat Municipality of the Gegharkunik Province in Armenia, on the northeastern shore of Lake Sevan.
Geography and nature
The village is located in the vicinity of the Tandzut ri ...
)
Lake Sevan beach at Best Western Bohemian Resort.JPG, Best Western Bohemian Resort
Sevan beach.jpg, The beach of Sevan town
Sevan Northern Beach-1.JPG
Sevan town water park2.jpg, The Harsnaqar Hotel Complex
Lake Sevan from Harsnakar.jpg, View from the northeastern shore near the city of Sevan
Sites of interest
The most famous cultural monument is the
Sevanavank
Sevanavank ( hy, Սևանավանք; meaning ''Sevan Monastery'') is a monastic complex located on a peninsula at the northwestern shore of Lake Sevan in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, not far from the town of Sevan. Initially the monaste ...
monastery located on the peninsula, which was until the mid-20th century an island. Another prominent monastery at the western shore is
Hayravank
Hayravank ( hy, Հայրավանք) is a village in the Gavar Municipality of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia. The village is the site of the 9th-century Hayravank Monastery.
Gallery
Hayravank monastery, ՎԱՍ.jpg, The 9th-century Hayra ...
, and further south, in the village of
Noratus
Noratus ( hy, Նորատուս; also known as ''Noraduz'') is a village in the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, near the town of Gavar
Gavar ( hy, Գավառ) is a town and urban municipal community in Armenia serving as the administrative ce ...
, is a field of ''
khachkar
A ''khachkar'', also known as a ''khatchkar'' or Armenian cross-stone ( hy, խաչքար, , խաչ xačʿ "cross" + քար kʿar "stone") is a carved, memorial stele bearing a cross, and often with additional motifs such as rosettes, i ...
s'';
a cemetery with about 900 ''khachkars'' of different styles. Additional ''khachkars'' are found at
Nerkin Getashen
Nerkin Getashen ( hy, Ներքին Գետաշեն, lit=Lower Getashen) is a village in the Martuni Municipality of the Gegharkunik Province of Armenia, located along the southwestern coast of Lake Sevan. South of Nerkin Getashen lies Verin Getas ...
on the south coast.
In 2017, a
Wikipedia globe
The logo of Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia, is an unfinished globe constructed from Jigsaw puzzle, jigsaw pieces—some pieces are missing at the top—each inscribed with a glyph from a different writing system. As displayed on the web ...
was submerged in the lake to create an
artificial reef
An artificial reef is a human-created underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing
S ...
.
Island
Sevan Island2.jpg, Sevan Island
Sevanavanq 01.jpg, Sevan Island
Sevan Island1.jpg, Sevan Island
Sevan peninsula.jpg, Sevan peninsula (formerly an island) in Lake Sevan
Sevan peninsula, Armenia, panoramic view (June 2015).jpg, Sevan peninsula in 2015
Fauna
Fish
Sevan trout
The Sevan trout (''Salmo ischchan'') is an endemic fish species of Lake Sevan in Armenia, known as ishkhan (իշխան, ) in Armenian. It is a salmonid fish related to the brown trout.
The fish is endangered, because various competitors wer ...
(''Salmo ischchan'') is an
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
of the lake, but it is endangered as some competitors were introduced into the lake, including
common whitefish
''Coregonus lavaretus'' is a species of freshwater whitefish, in the family Salmonidae. It is the type species of its genus ''Coregonus''.
There are widely different concepts about the delimitation of the species ''Coregonus lavaretus'' and abou ...
(''Coregonus lavaretus'') from
Lake Ladoga
Lake Ladoga (; rus, Ла́дожское о́зеро, r=Ladozhskoye ozero, p=ˈladəʂskəjə ˈozʲɪrə or rus, Ла́дога, r=Ladoga, p=ˈladəɡə, fi, Laatokka arlier in Finnish ''Nevajärvi'' ; vep, Ladog, Ladoganjärv) is a fresh ...
,
goldfish
The goldfish (''Carassius auratus'') is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It is commonly kept as a pet in indoor aquariums, and is one of the most popular aquarium fish. Goldfish released into the wild have b ...
(''Carrasius auratus''), and crayfish (''
Astacus leptodactylus''). If the Sevan trout is likely to become extinct in its "home" lake, it seems that it will survive in
Issyk-Kul Lake
Issyk-Kul (also Ysyk-Köl, ky, Ысык-Көл, lit=warm lake, translit=Ysyk-Köl, , zh, 伊塞克湖) is an endorheic lake (i.e., without outflow) in the Northern Tian Shan mountains in Eastern Kyrgyzstan. It is the seventh-deepest lake in th ...
(
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the ea ...
), where it was introduced in the 1970s.
Due to anthropogenic impact, changes have occurred in all the biological components of the lake, including bacteria,
benthos
Benthos (), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.[trout
Trout are species of freshwater fish belonging to the genera '' Oncorhynchus'', '' Salmo'' and '' Salvelinus'', all of the subfamily Salmoninae of the family Salmonidae. The word ''trout'' is also used as part of the name of some non-sa ...]( ...<br></span></div>, and of course fish. Thus, the benthic mass increased tenfold in 1940, due to oligochaetes and chrinomices. Today, the former prevail and multiply the oxygen-rich residue at the bottom of the lake.
The ''bojak'' and winter ''bakhtak'' species of the Sevan-endemic <div class=)
have already disappeared. The summer ''bakhtak'' occurs rarely; the ''gegharkuni'' is still capable of reproducing naturally. In 1980s, the quantity of Sevan ''koghak'' significantly decreased. Numerous reasons for this have been identified:
* The level of the water was lowered, the paths of rivers changed, and the trout (''gegharkuni'' and ''Aestivalis'' species) lost their natural spаwning places. Changes in the areas near the shore (mossing, disappearance of macrophyte plants) also had a negative impact on the trout lays. The trout spawn only in certain areas, with oxygen-rich underground water at the depth of .
* Deoxidization of the bottom is extremely detrimental for
salmon
Salmon () is the common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of ...
, which are used to more than 4 mg/L of O
2.
* In the last 10 years, poaching rapidly increased, which significantly reduced the number of fish in the lake.
Birds
The bird fauna of the lake and its vicinity makes over 200 species, out of which 95 species are breeding. The lake is an important breeding ground for the
Armenian gull
__NOTOC__
The Armenian gull (''Larus armenicus'') is a large gull found in the Caucasus and the Middle East. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the European herring gull (''L. argentatus''), but is now generally considered to be a sep ...
(''Larus armenicus'') with about 4,000–5,000 pairs. During migration the Lake is visited by wide variety of birds including raptors, such as
Montagu's harrier
Montagu's harrier (''Circus pygargus'') is a migratory bird of prey of the harrier family. Its common name commemorates the British naturalist George Montagu.
Taxonomy
The first formal description of Montagu's harrier was by the Swedish na ...
(''Circus pygargus'') and
Steppe eagle
The steppe eagle (''Aquila nipalensis'') is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The steppe eagle's well-feathered legs illustrate it to be a member of the subfamily Aquilinae, also known as the "booted ...
(''Aquila nipalensis''), waterbirds such as
red-crested pochard
The red-crested pochard (''Netta rufina'') is a large diving duck. The scientific name is derived from Greek ''Netta'' "duck", and Latin ''rufina'', "golden-red" (from ''rufus'', "ruddy"). Its breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in sout ...
(''Netta rufina'') and
ferruginous duck
The ferruginous duck (''Aythya nyroca''), also known as ferruginous pochard, common white-eye or white-eyed pochard, is a medium-sized diving duck from Eurosiberia. The scientific name is derived from Greek '' aithuia'' an unidentified seabird ...
(''Aythya nyroca''), while during the wintering period the lake hosts another set of species such as
Bewick's swan
The tundra swan (''Cygnus columbianus'') is a small swan of the Holarctic. The two taxa within it are usually regarded as conspecific, but are also sometimes split into two species: Bewick's swan (''Cygnus bewickii'') of the Palaearctic and the ...
(''Cygnus columbianus'') and
great black-headed gull
Pallas's gull (''Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus''), also known as the great black-headed gull, is a large bird species. As is the case with many gulls, it has traditionally been placed in the genus '' Larus''. The scientific name is from Ancient Greek. ...
(''Larus ichthyaetus''). Sometimes the lake is visited by very rare Armenian migrant
lesser white-fronted goose
The lesser white-fronted goose (''Anser erythropus'') is a goose closely related to the larger white-fronted goose (''A. albifrons''). It breeds in the northernmost Palearctic, but it is a scarce breeder in Europe. There is a re-introduction sche ...
(''Anser erythropus'').
Pollution
The rivers feeding Lake Sevan flow through densely populated settlements which produce agricultural, domestic, and industrial waste. It significantly changes the lake's ecosystem. According to a 2017 study the lake's water contains concentration of metals such as
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in AmE, American and CanE, Canadian English) is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately o ...
,
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow ...
,
arsenic
Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and atomic number 33. Arsenic occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. Arsenic is a metalloid. It has various allotropes, bu ...
,
cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, ...
, and
lead
Lead is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metals, heavy metal that is density, denser than most common materials. Lead is Mohs scale of mineral hardness#Intermediate ...
.
According to Armenian environmental organization EcoLur, the lake is in a critical condition because of the presence of
vanadium
Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery-grey, malleable transition metal. The elemental metal is rarely found in nature, but once isolated artificially, the formation of an oxide layer ( pass ...
. Environmental Impact Monitoring Center, an agency of the Armenian Ministry of Nature Protection, reported in 2012 that the average annual concentration of
vanadium
Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery-grey, malleable transition metal. The elemental metal is rarely found in nature, but once isolated artificially, the formation of an oxide layer ( pass ...
(64 μg/L) in the samples taken from Lake Sevan exceeded the maximum permissible concentration (MPC) by 6.4 times, while
selenium
Selenium is a chemical element with the symbol Se and atomic number 34. It is a nonmetal (more rarely considered a metalloid) with properties that are intermediate between the elements above and below in the periodic table, sulfur and telluriu ...
(26 μg/L) exceeded MPC 2.6 times,
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish ...
(21 μg/L) 2.1 times,
magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ...
(60 μg/L) 1.2 times. A 2016 study found that mining and metallurgical industrial activities—namely the
Sotk gold mine
The Sotk gold mine ( hy, Սոթքի ոսկու հանքավայր, translit=Sot’k’i vosku hank’avayr), known in Azerbaijan as the Zod gold mine ( az, Zod qızıl yatağı), is the largest mine in Armenia and Azerbaijan in terms of pure gold r ...
on the southeastern shore of the lake—caused significant heavy metal, especially vanadium, pollution of the Sotk and Masrik rivers in the Lake Sevan catchment basin. According to the researchers it "may have posed health risks to aquatic life as well as to humans (at least in the case of river water used for drinking purposes)."
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References
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sevan
Geography of Gegharkunik Province
Lakes of Armenia
Mountain lakes
Ramsar sites in Armenia
Tourist attractions in Gegharkunik Province