Rara Lake

The Rara Lake () is the biggest and deepest fresh water lake in the Nepal Himalayas. It is the main feature of the Rara National Park, located in the Jumla and Mugu Districts. In September 2007, the lake was declared a Ramsar site, covering 1583ha including the surrounding wetland.FeaturesRara Lake lies at an altitude of 2990m above sea level, has a water surface of 10.8km2, a maximum depth of 167m, is 5.1km long and 2.7km wide. It drains into the Mugu Karnali River via the Nijar River. Its water quality is characterized by high pH, conductivity and total hardness. It was reported to be very slightly polluted and was classified as oligotrophic in limnological terms. It is polluted due to wastes produced during festivals by visiting locals and tourists.ClimateSummer is quite pleasant but winter is cold. The best visiting time to the lake is September/October and April to May. From December to March, the temperatures go low below the freezing point, and heavy snowfall occur up to one meter, blocking the way to the lake. April to June is warm in this region.Monsoon season, which in this region occurs between the months of July to October, is short. The average rainfall during the ten-year period 1994–2003 was 800 mm. The surface temperature of the lake was found to be 7.5 °C to 7.6 °C and was visible below 14 m to 15 m.Plant and animal lifeRara Lake, being surrounded by Rara National Park, has unique floral and faunal importance with rare and vulnerable species. The park was established in 1976 to preserve the beauty of the lake and protect it from sedimentation and adverse human activities. The Park flora consists of 1074 species, of which 16 are endemic to Nepal; the fauna includes 51 species of mammals and 214 species of birds.