Lake Arpi (Armenian: Արփի լիճ, romanized: Arp’i lich; Turkish: Arpa Göl[2]) is a lake and reservoir located in the Shirak Province of Armenia, on the Ashotsk plateau in the northwestern part of the country. It sits at an altitude of 2,025 m with an area of 20 km2. It is the source of the Akhurian River.[3][4]
Lake Arpi originated from a volcano tectonic earthquake. In 1946–1950, the Arpi Dam was built on the Akhurian River, artificially increasing the size of the lake.[3] The reservoir's dam, made of reinforced concrete, is 10 m high and 80 m long.[5] Prior to the construction of the dam, the lake had a surface area of 4.5 km2, volume of 5 million cubic meters, and was 1.6 m deep. The reservoir-lake is 7.3 km long and 4.3 km wide, with a surface area of 20 km2, an average depth of 4.2 m (maximum 8 m), and a volume of 90 million cubic meters (about 19 times more than the natural lake).[3] Its maximum capacity is 105 million cubic meters.[5] During the winter, it is usually completely covered by ice․[3][5] The lake is fed by meltwater[6] and several springs and streams (Karmrajur, Yeghnajur, Elar, etc.).[4] The reservoir is used for irrigation and hydropower production, irrigating farmlands in the plain of Shirak and the basin of the Upper Akhurian. The Talin and Armavir canals receive additional water from Lake Arpi.[5]
The lake has rich flora and fauna. It was designated a Ramsar site in 1993,[1] and a national park was established around the lake in 2009.[7] More than 140 species of bird have been observed around the lake, of which 80–85 were nesting.[6] It hosts the largest colony of Armenian gull in the world;[6] pelicans and different species of ducks and migrating birds can also be seen there.[5] The area is recognized as an Important Bird Area.[8] Eurasian otters and water voles come to the reservoir via the Akhurian.[4][5]Cyprinus and Varicorhinus inhabit its waters,[3] among other species of fish.[9] The total number of species of fish increased after the lake was turned into a reservoir.[9] The lake is used for fish farming and fishing.[5] In recent years, man-made factors have negatively affected the lakes ecology. Poaching and the use of unauthorized fishing methods have decreased the total population of fish, while periodic changes in the water level have been noticed.[9]
Lake Arpi can be reached by road from the east from Ghazanchi or from the south from Amasia.[6] Small boats are used to traverse the lake.[5]
^ ab"Lake Arpi". Ramsar Sites Information Service. 1 January 2011. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
^Lynch, H. F. B. (2020). Armenia, Travels and Studies, Volume 1 (1 ed.). Frankfurt am Main: Outlook Verlag GmbH. p. 422. ISBN 9783752410174. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
^ abcdeHakobyan, T. Kh.; Melik-Bakhshyan, St. T.; Barseghyan, H. Kh. (1986). "Arpʻi" Արփի [Arpi]. Hayastani ev harakitsʻ shrjanneri teghanunneri baṛaran Հայաստանի և հարակից շրջանների տեղանունների բառարան [Dictionary of Toponymy of Armenia and Adjacent Territories] (in Armenian). Vol. I. Yerevan State University Publishing House. p. 514.
^ abcPoghosyan, A. (1976). "Arpʻi lchi jrambar" Արփի լճի ջրամբար [Lake Arpi reservoir]. In Hambardzumyan, Viktor (ed.). Haykakan sovetakan hanragitaran Հայկական սովետական հանրագիտարան [Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia] (in Armenian). Vol. 2. Yerevan. p. 155.
^ abcdefghAyvazyan, H. M.; et al., eds. (2006). Hayastani bnashkharh hanragitaran Հայաստանի բնաշխարհ հանրագիտարան [Nature of Armenia encyclopedia] (in Armenian). Yerevan: Armenian Encyclopedia Publishing House. pp. 146. ISBN 5-89700-029-8.
^ abcdHolding, Deirdre (2014), Armenia with Nagorno Karabagh: The Bradt Travel Guide (4th ed.), Guilford, Connecticut: The Globe Pequot Press, pp. 233–234, ISBN 978-1-84162-555-3
^"Arpʻi lich" Արփի լիճ. Armenian Geographic (in Armenian). Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
^"Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas - IBAs of Armenia". Armenian Bird Census Council. 2015. Archived from the original on 30 October 2017. Retrieved 29 October 2017.
^ abcPipoyan, S. Kh.; Malkhasyan, A. H. (2014). "Hayastani petakan argelotsʻneri ev azgayin parkeri dzknashkharhě" Հայաստանի պետական արգելոցների և ազգային պարկերի ձկնաշխարհը [Ichtyofauna of the State Armenia Reserves and National Parks]. Biological Journal of Armenia (in Armenian). 66 (1): 22–23 – via Pan-Armenian Digital Library.
LakeArpi (Armenian: Արփի լիճ, romanized: Arp’i lich; Turkish: Arpa Göl) is a lake and reservoir located in the Shirak Province of Armenia, on the Ashotsk...
LakeArpi National Park (Armenian: Արփի լճի ազգային պարկ, romanized: Arp'i lchi azgayin park) is one of four protected national parks of Armenia. Occupying...
12 November 2015. Retrieved 7 June 2013. Harutyunyan, Arpi (29 June 2007). "Sevan Rising: Lake Sevan's recovery quicker than expected". ArmeniaNow. Shoghikyan...
Armenia has one very large lake called Lake Sevan and more than 100 small mountain lakes. None of them, except Sevan and LakeArpi, have yet been extensively...
province. LakeArpi at the northwest of Shirak is the only lake of the province. The area is protected by the government as the LakeArpi National Park...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
National Park, LakeArpi National Park, and Khosrov Forest State Reserve in Armenia, Mount Ararat (Ağrı Dağı) National Park, Süphan Dağı and Lake Akdoğan in...
nests beside mountain lakes in Georgia, Armenia, Turkey, and western Iran. The largest colonies are at Lake Sevan and LakeArpi in Armenia. It is a partial...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
National Park Սևան ազգային պարկ Gegharkunik Province 342 km2 132 sq mi 1978 LakeArpi National Park Արփի լճի ազգային պարկ Shirak Province 250 km2 97 sq mi 2009...
the four protected national parks of Armenia, founded in 1978 to protect Lake Sevan and the surrounding areas. It is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry...
park. There are Parz Lich (Clear Lake), Goshi Lich (Gosh Lake) and Tzrkalich (Leech Lake) as well as other minor lakes. The flora of Dilijan National Park...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
ISBN 9781780768526. ...Cathedral of the Holy Cross (915–21) on Akhtamar in Lake Van, which follows the Surp Hripsime model... Cheterian, Vicken (2015). Open...
major part of the habitat of this snake in Armenia is included in the LakeArpi National Park.[citation needed] This species, V. darevskii, is classified...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
v t e Protected areas of Armenia National parks Arevik Dilijan LakeArpi Sevan State reserves Erebuni Khosrov Forest Shikahogh Botanical gardens Ijevan...
been established in successful plantings carried out in the vicinity of Lake Sevan. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the financial resources for...
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pretty large and wide ash-grey shore-line, thought there are no seas or lakes around. Presence of diatomite shelves in the sand is an evidence of its...
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