Al-Asfar Lake
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Al-Asfar Lake
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| location = Saudi Arabia
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| coordinates = {{coord|25.529|49.800|type:waterbody_region:SA|display=inline,title}}
| type = lake
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| designation = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
|child = yes
|Part_of = Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape
|ID = 1563-009
|Year = 2018
|Criteria = Cultural: iii, iv, v
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| pushpin_map = Saudi Arabia
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| pushpin_map_alt = Location of Al-Asfar Lake in Saudi Arabia.
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Al-Asfar Lake (Arabic: بحيرة الأصفر, Buḥayrat al-Aṣfar, meaning "Yellow Lake") is a lake located east of Umran City in the Al-Ahsa Governorate in Eastern Saudi Arabia. It covers an area of approximately 20.8 square kilometers (20,800,000 m²).
The lake is surrounded by sand dunes and is somewhat difficult to reach.{{Cite web|date=2016-04-24|title=Al-Ahsa's Yellow Lake: Between the present and the future|url=https://www.arabnews.com/saudi-arabia/news/914811|access-date=2020-12-19|website=Arab News|language=en}} Al-Asfar Lake is one of the most important wetland shallow lakes in the region.{{cn|date=May 2024}} The lake is a historic landmark of Al-Hasa, and was mentioned by some historians of the Abbasid and Islamic Golden Era, such as Al-Hamawi, Al-Qalqashandi, and Al-Zamakhshari. At present, the primary source of the lake's water is agricultural drainage water, which leads some people to refer to it as semi man-made.{{Cite web|last=Iacoangeli|first=Chiara|date=July 2019|title=Yellow Lake reservoir offers travelers natural gifts, The Arabian Sun|url=https://www.aramco.com/-/media/publications/arabian-sun/2019/2019-27.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=22 December 2020|website=}} In 2019, Al-Asfar Lake was declared a national nature reserve.{{Cite web|date=2019-03-09|title=البحيرة الأكبر في الخليج تتحول إلى محمية في الأحساء|url=https://www.alarabiya.net/ar/saudi-today/2019/03/09/البحيرة-الأكبر-في-الخليج-تتحول-الى-محمية-في-الأحساء|access-date=2020-12-22|website=العربية|language=ar}}
History
The lake has been mentioned by several historians such as Al-Hamawi and Al-Qalqashandi.{{Cite book|last1=Mulḥim, Muḥammad ibn Nāṣir ibn Aḥmad.|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/48570638|title=Tārīkh al-Baḥrayn fī al-qarn al-awwal al-Hijrī : sharq al-Jazīrah al-ʻArabīyah|last2=ملحم، محمد بن ناصر بن أحمد.|date=1997|publisher=Nādī al-Minṭaqah al-Sharqīyah al-Adabī bi-al-Dammām|isbn=9960-736-15-6|edition=al-Ṭabʻah 1|location=[Dammām]|oclc=48570638}} The lake is also mentioned by Al-Zamakhshari in his book "Kitab al-Amkinah wa al-Jibal wa al-Miyah {{Cite book|last=الزمخشري/-/-|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jztBDwAAQBAJ&q=%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86&pg=PA1|title=الجبال و الأمكنة و المياه|publisher=ktab INC.|language=ar}}", where he describes it as peaceful lake at gates of Al-Hasa. Al-Zamakhshari suggests that the naming of the historical region of Bahrayn (which includes Eastern Arabia and Bahrain and translates to English as the "two Seas") comes from its location between The Green Sea and a peaceful lake at Al-hasa.
Wildlife
Different parts of the lake reflect different type of shores that include Wet, moist, semi-dry and dry zones. The different zones may have different plant species. There are at least 39 plant species belonging to 20 families that can be identified around the lake. Fluctuating water level create very diverse conditions, which enhances the vegetation and plant species and types. Fluctuating water levels allow some vegetation types to regenerate from buried seeds.{{cn|date=May 2024}}
Al-Asfar Lake attract migratory birds twice a year. Birds migrate from cooler places such as Russia, Canada, India and Iran to warmer climate areas including Al-Asfar Lake. The range of birds varies from small birds such as Sparrows to large birds such as geese and ducks.
Environmental concerns
The lake water is contaminated with heavy metals, which mainly comes from agricultural water. The heavy metal level is generally higher than the international permissible limits and varies seasonally.{{cn|date=May 2024}}
UNESCO site
In 2018, Al-Ahsa Oasis became the fifth Saudi site to be registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Al-Asfar lake is one of 12 sites that were designated as World Heritage Site within Al-Hasa.{{Cite web|title=Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1563/|access-date=2020-12-22|website=UNESCO World Heritage Centre|language=en}}
See also
{{Portal|Saudi Arabia}}