Mahodand Lake
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Mahodand Lake
{{nq|مہوڈنڈ جھیل}}
| image =Mahodand Lake in Oshu Valley.JPG
| caption = Mahodand Lake in Oshu Valley
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location = Usho, Swat Valley
| coords = {{coord|35.7138|N|72.6502|E|region:PK_type:waterbody|display=title,inline}}
| lake_type = Alpine/Glacial lake
| inflow = Glaciers water
| outflow = Ushu Khwar
|pushpin_map=Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
| catchment =
| basin_countries = Pakistan
| length = {{convert|2|km|abbr=on}}
| width = {{convert|1.2|km|abbr=on}}
| area =
| depth =
| max-depth =
| volume =
| residence_time =
| shore =
| elevation = {{convert|2865|m|abbr=on}}
| islands =
| cities = Matiltan, Ushu, Kalam Valley
}}
Mahodand Lake ({{langx|ur|{{nq|مہوڈنڈ جھیل}}}}; {{langx|ps|د ماهو ډنډ}} - "Lake of Fishes") is a lake located in the upper Usho Valley at a distance of about {{convert|40|km}} from Kalam in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.{{cite news |last1=Alam |first1=Fakar |title=Monsoon magic at Mahodand lake |url=https://dailytimes.com.pk/1207483/monsoon-magic-at-mahodand-lake/ |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=Daily Times |date=8 July 2024}}{{cite news |last1=Mahmud |first1=Murtaza |title=Mahodand Lake – A tribute to the majestic ‘Switzerland of the East’ |url=https://tribune.com.pk/article/28565/mahodand-lake-a-tribute-to-the-majestic-switzerland-of-the-east |access-date=7 November 2024 |work=The Express Tribune |date=29 July 2015}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/202661-cast-a-line-in-swats-mahodand-lake|title=Cast a line in Swat’s Mahodand Lake | Pakistan - Geo.tv|website=www.geo.tv |date=15 July 2018}} The lake is accessible by a four-wheel drive vehicle, and is often utilized for fishing and boating.{{cite news |last1=Khaliq |first1=Fazal |title=The Exquisite Mahodand Lake in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1335941 |accessdate=18 September 2019 |work=Dawn |date=28 May 2017}}
Geography
The Mahodand Lake lies at the foothills of Hindu Kush mountains at an elevation of {{convert|2865|m|abbr=on}}, surrounded by meadows, mountains and dense forests. Similarly, the banks of Mahodand Lake are covered by pines and pastures that serve as a camping site during the summer.
The Mahodand Lake is fed by melting glaciers and springs of the Hindu Kush mountain and gives rise to Ushu Khwar, the major left tributary of the Swat River.{{cite web|title=Geography of Lake|url=https://www.discoverworld.com/Pakistan/Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa/Swat-District/Mahodand-Lake|website=www.discoverworld.com|accessdate=20 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520124422/https://www.discoverworld.com/Pakistan/Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa/Swat-District/Mahodand-Lake|archive-date=20 May 2018|url-status=dead}}
Flora and fauna
During the winter, the Mahodand lake freezes and is covered by heavy snow. In the summers, the basin of the lake is surrounded by a sheet of alpine flowers like geum, blue poppy, potentilla and gentian. Apart from it, the lake is encircled by diverse pinus species which serves as abode for wild birds. Similarly, the lake contains abounding trout fish, which furnish ideal opportunity for angling, but catching is allowed only to licensed anglers.
Fishing and camping
File:Mahoo Dand Swat valley.JPG
Visitors fish and camp at the lake. The waters of Mahodand lake are divided into a series of small and large streams, which once swarmed with brown and rainbow trout introduced by the former ruler of Swat State. Over-fishing by the locals for daily income, along with the illegal use of fishing methods like electrocution, dynamiting, and large nets, have significantly reduced the fish population.
See also
- Lake Saiful Muluk - Kaghan Valley
- Dudipatsar Lake - Kaghan Valley
- Saidgai Lake - Swat Valley
- Kundol Lake - Kalam Valley
- Daral Lake - Swat Valley
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Commons category|Mahodand Lake}}
External links
{{commons category-inline}}
{{Waters of Pakistan}}
Category:Lakes of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa