Khövsgöl Nuur

The Chöwsgöl Nuur or Chöwsgöl Dalai (Mongolian Хөвсгөл Нуур, Chöwsgölsee or Хөвсгөл Далай, Chöwsgöl - Sea) is a lake in Mongolia. It is the second largest lake in the country by area (behind the Uvs Nuur ) and the largest by volume. He has significance as a drinking water reservoir and as a tourist destination. The signature in classical Mongolian script.

Colloquially, the lake is also Dalai Eedsch ( ээж mongol. Далай - " sea mother " ) called.

Geography

The Chöwsgöl Nuur is in the northwest of Mongolia, a few kilometers south of the Russian border at the south-eastern end of the Ostsajans. The lake is 136 km long, 20-40 km wide and up to 262 m deep. This makes it the deepest lake in Central Asia. After Lake Baikal he boasts the second largest fresh water reservoir in Asia with 70% of the drinking water occurrence in Mongolia and 0.4 % of the world's freshwater supply. Its average water level is 1624 meters. Four partially wooded, partially rocky islands are located in the lake and offer many birds breeding and nesting sites. The largest is 9 km long and 6 km ².

Its catchment area is relatively small; therefore it eat at least 46, but only small inflows. The discharge from the Chöwsgöl Nuur is located at the south end and runs to the southeast across the Egiin Gol Selenga, which discharges into Lake Baikal. It overcomes the water over 1,000 km of track and 1,169 m difference in altitude, although the distance between the two lakes is only about 200 km ( straight line ).

The lake is surrounded by pine forests, mountain ranges and mountain ranges. The highest mountain is the Munku Sardyk ( 3,492 m), the summit north of the lake rises directly on the Russian-Mongolian border.

In winter the lake freezes completely. The ice is then 1 m to 1.5 m thick, so that it also contributes trucks, so abbreviations are used on the ice for some transport routes. But it always comes back times to break-ins so that, according to the locals, some vehicles are at the bottom.

Ecological Significance

The Chöwsgöl Nuur is one of 17 lakes of the earth with an age of more than 2 million years ago. He is the most important freshwater reservoir Mongolia. Its water is safe to drink without treatment and provides a habitat for several large fish species, including Taimen, Siberian White Fish, Siberian Grayling, Lenok ( Brachymystax lenok ), Dog Fish, cisco, perch. In a dry country where most of the lakes contain salt water, a large freshwater lake is considered sacred.

The area around the lake is designated as a national park and strictly protected. The mountain region around the lake represents a vast transition zone between the Central Asian steppes and the Siberian taiga

Based on the lake fauna is very varied, and includes Siberian ibex, argali sheep, elk, wolf, musk deer, brown bear, reindeer and wolverine and sable.

Economic Importance

The only relevant economic sector is the beginning of the millennium, increasing tourism, which manifests itself mainly on the southwestern shore in such mushrooming out of the ground yurt camps and throughout the National Park in an increased volume of waste. The tourist groups are largely taken from South Korea ( one week of annual leave in the camp ), from Europe ( Riding Holidays ) and from the capital Ulaan Baatar ( family recreation with fishing, canoeing, swimming, but also prospecting of mineral springs and even hot springs, but the latter frequented the less East Bank). One of the first yurt camp on the west bank staged annually since 1999 a marathon, which attracts many participants from all over the world and has contributed considerably to the tourist development of the region.

Despite the increasing tourism hardly lost a sailboat or motor boat on the lake, so that you can really have the impression of untouched nature here.

Since 2008 was the arrival date of Moron, the capital of Chöwsgöl - aimag (administrative district ) and last domestic airport, only possible on difficult slopes with all-wheel drive vans, so provides a new asphalt road right up to the lake for a faster connection - and resentment at environmentalists because wide cuts through a mountain taiga species richness of fauna and flora threaten.

Boat traffic on the lake there since 1913. Meanwhile, the only remaining steamer rusty but is now only for rent on demand.

A former geologist camp 30 km north of Khatgal on the western shore of the lake testifies later discontinued for environmental reasons phosphorite mining plans from the Soviet era and is now a rest home.

Many nomads beat their summer camp on the shores of the lake and feed the tourist camps with dairy products, crafts and riding animals and offer their services as guides. Partial give ecologically oriented tour operators over the winter repairs and new manufacture of saddlery, etc. in order to allow the nomads additional sources of income. Also, some families of the otherwise rather withdrawn and much further northwest living beyond the plateau Tuvan reindeer herder, called by the Mongols " Tsaatan " or " reindeer people " itself but rather refer to as " taiga people," beat their summer camp near the lake and offer horseback riding on reindeer, allow tourists to film with the animals or stage pseudo- Shamanistic rituals, against some horrendous charges.

In winter, the nomads in the sheltered valleys of the surrounding mountains. Some yurt camps then offer fishing and sledding on the frozen lake.

Film

The increasing awareness of the Chöwsgöl Lake and Chöwsgöl National Park is also reflected in that the final part of the movie Liu San - Guardian of Life, in the original Le Concile de Pierre ( 2006), by Guillaume Nicloux in which there is a myth the Tsaaten is playing there.