Mikata Five Lakes

{{Expand Japanese|topic=geo|三方五湖|date=May 2018}}

{{Infobox protected area

| name = Mikata Five Lakes

| alt_name =三方五湖

| iucn_category = IV

| photo = Mikata five lakes Aerial photograph.1975.jpg

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| photo_caption = Aerial Photo of Mikata Five Lakes
Made based on [http://w3land.mlit.go.jp/WebGIS/ National Land Image Information (Color Aerial Photographs)], Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism

| map = Japan Fukui Prefecture

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| location = Japan

| nearest_city = Mihama, Fukui

| coordinates = {{coord|35|34|19.9|N|135|53|04.0|E|region:JP-18_type:waterbody|display=title|name=Mikata Five Lakes}}

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| embedded = {{Designation list

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| designation1 = Ramsar

| designation1_offname = Mikata-goko

| designation1_date = 8 November 2005

| designation1_number = 1549{{Cite web|title=Mikata-goko|website=Ramsar Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/1549|accessdate=25 April 2018}}}}}}

File:Saga tunnel (sunny place lake side).jpg

{{nihongo|Mikata Five Lakes|{{ruby-ja|三方五湖|みかたごこ}}|Mikata-goko|lead=yes}}, also called the Five Lakes of Mikata, are a series of brackish and freshwater lakes located in Mihama and Wakasa, Fukui, Japan, which are close to the coast of Wakasa Bay. They consist of Lakes Mikata (三方湖), Suigetsu (水月湖), Suga (菅湖), Kugushi (久々子湖) and Hiruga (日向湖). These five lakes are all located in Wakasa Wan Quasi-National Park. In 2005 the lakes were designated as a Ramsar site. The Lake Suigetsu is famous for its varves, which were adopted as a global standard for dating geological and historical relics in 2012.

Geography

Mikata Five Lakes refers to Lakes Maikata, Suigetsu, Suga, Kugushi and Hiruga. Lakes Mikata, Suigetsu and Suga, which are located in the southern part, are connected with each other via natural straits. In addition, Urami Canal built in 1664 connects Lake Kugushi with Suigetsu, and Saga Tunnel built in 1934 connects Lake Hiruga with Suigetsu.

class="sortable wikitable"
Name

! Salinity

! Surface area

! Elevation

! Max depth

! Shore length

Lake Mikata

| Fresh water{{cite journal|title=Distribution of the Non-indigenous Mytilid Bivalve Xenostrobus securis along the Sea of Japan's Japanese Coastline|author=Keiji IWASAKI|journal=Japanese Journal of Benthology|volume=67|number=2|pages=73–81|year=2013|doi=10.5179/benthos.67.73|doi-access=free}}

| {{convert|3.56|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}

| 0 m

| 5.8 m {{cite web| url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%B8%89%E6%96%B9%E6%B9%96-138299 | publisher=kotobank | title=三方湖(みかたこ)とは - コトバンク | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

| {{convert|9.6|km|mi|abbr=on}}

Lake Suigetsu

| Brackish water{{cite journal|title=Non-Glacial Varved Lake Sediment as a Natural Timekeeper and Detector on Environmental Changes| author=Hitoshi Fukusawa| journal=The Quaternary Research (Daiyonki-Kenkyu)| volume=34| number=3| pages=135–149| year=1995| doi=10.4116/jaqua.34.135| doi-access=free}}

| {{convert|4.16|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}

| 0 m

| 34 m {{cite web| url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%B0%B4%E6%9C%88%E6%B9%96-82872 | publisher=kotobank | title=水月湖(すいげつこ)とは - コトバンク | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

| {{convert|11|km|mi|abbr=on}}

Lake Suga

| Brackish water

| {{convert|0.91|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}

| 0 m

| 13.0 m {{cite web| url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E8%8F%85%E6%B9%96-83400 | publisher=kotobank | title=菅湖(すがこ)とは - コトバンク | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

| {{convert|4.2|km|mi|abbr=on}}

Lake Kugushi

| Brackish water

| {{convert|1.40|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}

| 0 m

| 2.5 m {{cite web| url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%B9%85%E3%80%85%E5%AD%90%E6%B9%96-55051 | publisher=kotobank | title=久々子湖(くぐしこ)とは - コトバンク | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

| {{convert|7.0|km|mi|abbr=on}}

Lake Hiruga

| Saline water{{cite web| url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E6%97%A5%E5%90%91%E6%B9%96-121753 | publisher=kotobank | title=日向湖(ひるがこ)とは - コトバンク | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

| {{convert|0.92|km2|mi2|abbr=on}}

| 0 m

| 38.5 m

| {{convert|4.0|km|mi|abbr=on}}

See also

References

{{reflist|refs=

{{cite web| url=https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/spot/natuscen/mikatafivelakes.html | publisher=Japan National Tourism Organization | title=Mikata Five lakes - Japan National Tourism Organization | accessdate=May 24, 2018}}

{{cite web| url=http://www1.city.obama.fukui.jp/japan_heritage/bunkazai/detail.php?lang=EN&id=76 | publisher=Japan Heritage Utilization Promotion Council of Obama City and Wakasa town | title=Five Lakes of Mikata Japan Heritage: Wakasa Province: A Cultural Heritage Linking the Sea to the Ancient Capital |accessdate=May 24, 2018}}

{{cite web| url=http://www.town.fukui-wakasa.lg.jp/kankou/english/hyaka/ | publisher=WAKASA Visitors Association | title=Discover Wakasa -Sightseeing- | accessdate=May 24, 2018}}

{{cite web| url=https://kotobank.jp/word/%E4%B8%89%E6%96%B9%E4%BA%94%E6%B9%96-138300 | publisher=kotobank | title=三方五湖(みかたごこ)とは - コトバンク | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

{{cite web| url=http://www.erc.pref.fukui.jp/gbank/wetland/wet018.html | publisher=Fukui Nature Conservation Center | title=福井県の湿地 (三方五湖 日向湖・久々子湖・菅湖・水月湖・三方湖) | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

{{cite web| url=http://satoyama.pref.fukui.lg.jp/feature/varve | publisher=Fukui Prefectural Satoyama-Satoumi Research Institute | title=水月湖の年縞 | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

{{cite web| url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Science/A-Japanese-lakebed-gives-scientists-a-perfect-climate-record | publisher=Nikkei Inc. | title=A Japanese lakebed gives scientists a perfect climate record | accessdate=May 24, 2018}}

{{cite web| url=http://www.ramsarsite.jp/jp_23a.html | publisher= ラムサール条約登録湿地関係市町村会議 | title=日本のラムサール条約登録湿地【三方五湖】 | accessdate=May 24, 2018 | language=ja}}

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