Lake Rara Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Lake Rara राराताल
Lake Rara, May 2005
Location	Mugu District
Coordinates	29°31′33″N 82°05′25″E / 29.525721°N 82.090211°E / 29.525721; 82.090211
Type	Natural, oligotrophic
Primary inflows	Many small streams
Primary outflows	Nijar khola → Karnali River
Basin countries	Nepal

Max. length	5.1 km (3.2 mi)
Max. width	2.7 km (1.7 mi)
Surface area	9.8 km² (3.8 sq mi)
Average depth	100 km (62 mi)
Max. depth	167 m (548 ft)
Water volume	0.98 km³ (0.24 cu mi)
Surface elevation	2,990 m (9,810 ft)

Frozen	never
Islands	none
Settlements	none

Rara Lake (Nepali: राराताल raratal) is the biggest natural lake of Nepal. It is in Rara Village Development Committee, Mugu District, Karnali Zone in the Mid-Western region.

The lake has a slightly oval shape and is entirely in the Rara National Park, about 300 km (190 mi) north-west of the capital, Kathmandu.

Features
Climate
Animal life
Images for kids
See also

Features

Lake Rara is at an altitude of 2,990 metres (9,810 ft) above sea level covering an area of 9.8 km² (3.8 sq mi). The lake has a length of 5.1 kilometres (3.2 mi) and a width of 2.7 kilometres (1.7 mi) with a maximum depth of 167 metres (548 ft). It flows into the Karnali river via the Nijar river (Nijar Khola).

The lake was classified as oligotrophic (an environment that offers little to sustain life) in limnological terms, meaning that is very slightly polluted.

Climate

The climate of the Rara National Park, where the Lake Rara is, is a temperate climate with temperatures between 27 °C (81 °F) in summer and −4 °C (25 °F) in winter.

Animal life

In the Lake Rara there are three endemic fish species (Schizothorax macrophthalmus, S. nepalensis and S. raraensis), and one endemic frog (Paa rarica).

Many waterfowl spend the winter months in Lake Rara; some of them are gadwall, mallard, northern shoveler, Eurasian teal, tufted duck, common goldeneye, goosander, Eurasian coot and solitary snipe.