Chashma Barrage (Ramsar Site)
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Chashma Barrage wetland site is located Indus Monsoon Forest, some 25 km southwest of Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan.
The site comprises a large barrage, a water storage reservoir and a series of embankments (serving as flood bounds) which divide the reservoir into five shallow lakes at low water levels.
The aquatic vegetation consists of Hydrilla verticillata, Nelumbium speciosum, Nymphaea lotus, Typha angustata, Typha elephantina, Phragmites australis, Potamogeton crispus-Myriophyllum sp.-Nymphoides cristatum, Potamogeton pectinatus, Saccharum spontaneum, Vallisneria spiralis and Zannichellia palustris.
The natural vegetation of the region is a mixture of subtropical semi-evergreen scrub and tropical thorn forest. Species include Olea ferruginea, Acacia modesta, A. nilotica, Adhatoda vasica, Dodonaea viscosa, Gymnosporia sp., Prosopis cineraria, Reptonia buxifolia, Salvadora oleoides, Tamarix aphylla, T. dioica, Ziziphus mauritania, Z. nummularia, Chrysopogon aucheri, Lasiurus hirsutus, Heteropogon contortus and Panicum antidotale. Prosopis glandulosa has been introduced in the area. Most of the natural thorn forest on the plains to the east of the Indus has been cleared for agricultural land and for irrigated plantations of Dalbergia sissoo and other species.
The rich fish fauna includes Gudusia chapra, Notopterus chitala, Catla catla, Cirrhinus mrigala, C. reba, Labeo rohita, L. microphthalmus, Puntius ticto, P. stigma, Barilius vagra, Wallago attu, Rita rita, Bagarius bagarius, Mystus aor, M. seenghala, Heteropneustes fossilis, utropiichthys vacha, Nandus sp., Mastacembelus armatus, M. pancalus, Ambassis nama, A. ranga and Channa punctatus.
Other aquatic fauna includes Hirudinaria sp., Palaemon spp., Rana tigrina, Kachuga smithi, Trionyx gangeticus and Lissemys punctata. Mammals occurring in the area include Sus scrofa cristatus, Axis porcinus, Canis aureus, Felis libyca and Lutra perspicillata.
