Lake Akan

Lake Akan (阿寒湖, Akan-ko) is a lake in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is located in Akan National Park and is a Ramsar Site.[2][3]

Lake Akan
The view from Mount Oakan (July 2008)
LocationKushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan
Coordinates43°27′6″N 144°5′55″E
Lake typeDimictic
Native name阿寒湖
Primary outflowsAkan River
Catchment area148 km2 (57 sq mi)
Basin countriesJapan
Surface area13 km2 (3,200 acres)
Average depth17.8 m (58 ft)
Max. depth44.8 m (147 ft)
Water volume0.23 km3 (0.055 cu mi)
Shore length125.9 km (16.1 mi)
Surface elevation420 m (1,380 ft)
FrozenDecember to April
Islands4: Ōjima, Kojima, Yaitai Island, Chūrui Island
SettlementsKushiro
Official nameAkan-ko
Designated8 November 2005
Reference no.1540[1]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.
Akan Caldera
Lake Akan (center)
Mount Meakan (bottom left)
Mount Oakan (center right)
Lake Akan and Mount Oakan

History

Volcanic activity formed the lake some 6,000 years ago, when a dam was formed. The lake used to have a clarity of 8–9 meters in the 1930s. Pollution from local hotspring resorts has decreased the transparency to 3–4 meters.[4]

Flora and fauna

The lake is famous for the marimo (Aegagropila linnaei), aggregations of algae that form into spherical shapes 2–30 cm in diameter. Other flora of the lake include the following:[4]

Kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are native to Lake Akan. Other fauna of the lake include the following:[4]

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See also

References
  1. "Akan-ko". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. "Data Summary: Akan-ko (Lake Akan)". World Lakes Database. International Lake Environment Committee. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
  3. "Ramsar Sites in Japan - Akan-ko" (PDF). Ministry of the Environment. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
  4. "AKAN-KO (LAKE AKAN)". World Lakes Database. International Lake Environment Committee. Archived from the original on 2012-03-05. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
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