Dudipatsar Lake (Urdu: دودی پت سر جھیل), also known as Dudipat Lake, is a lake encircled by snow clad peaks in Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park. The lake lies in the north end of the Kaghan Valley, in the Mansehra District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in northern Pakistan.

Dudipatsar دودی پت سر جھیل
Dudipatsar Lake, Lulusar-Dudipatsar National Park
Dudipatsar دودی پت سر جھیل
Location	Kaghan Valley, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Coordinates	35.0181°N 74.0900°E / 35.0181; 74.0900
Type	Alpine lake/glacial
Part of	Indus River basin
Primary inflows	Glacial water
Primary outflows	Purbinar valley
Basin countries	Pakistan
Max. length	835 metres (2,740 ft)
Max. width	600 metres (2,000 ft)
Average depth	approx. 5 m (16 ft)
Max. depth	approx. 5 m (16 ft)
Residence time	May to September
Surface elevation	3,800 metres (12,500 ft)[1]

Geography

The lake's water is greenish blue hue and very cold, at an elevation of 3,800 metres (12,500 ft). The surrounding mountains, with snow patches in the shady dales, average around 4,800 metres (15,700 ft) in elevation. Their natural habitat is in the Western Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows ecoregion.[2]

Lulusar Lake, also in the park, is the primary headwaters of the Kunhar River. Saiful Muluk National Park, with Saif ul Maluk Lake, is adjacent in the 150 kilometres (93 mi) long Kaghan Valley region and together the parks protect 88,000 hectares (220,000 acres).[2]

Wildlife

The lake and its wetlands habitats are of significant ecological importance for resident fauna and migratory waterfowl.[2] Some of the park's fauna includes the snow leopard, black bear, marmot, weasel, lynx, leopard, Himalayan snowcock, and snow partridge.[2]

Access

The 2005 Kashmir earthquake in North Pakistan made access more difficult. However, since 2006 the Pakistan government has taken steps to restore tourism in the Kaghan Valley, including rebuilding and new tourism facilities and infrastructure.[3]

See also

• Pyala Lake
• Dudipatsar Trail
• Babusar Pass
• Kaghan Valley
• List of lakes in Pakistan
• List of national parks of Pakistan

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dudipatsar Lake.