Playa lake

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Playas are small, round depressions in the surface of the ground. A playa lake is formed when rain fills this hole with water, creating a small lake. Playa lakes are typically endorheic.

Playas are typically formed in semi-arid and arid regions of the world. The largest concentration of playa lakes in the world (nearly 22,000) is on the Southern High Plains of Texas and Eastern New Mexico.

While most playa lakes are very small, other examples of playa lakes include Lake Alablab in Suguta, Kenya, and Wild Horse Lake, Oklahoma, USA.

In the U.S., playas are important sources of habitat for wildlife, including waterfowl such as ducks and geese, along with sandhill cranes and shorebirds. Amphibians such as frogs, toads, and salamanders also depend on playas, along with various invertebrates such as fairy shrimp. The U.S. playas also play a crutial role to the Ogallala Aquifer, as one of the sole recharging sites for this enormous aquifer.

Threats to playas include pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations such as cattle feedlots and dairies, erosion, fertilizer, pesticide, and sediment runoff from farms, and overgrazing.

[edit] References

• Overview of Isolated Wetlands - U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service