Lake Man

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For other uses, see Manko.

Lake Man (漫湖, Manko^?), is an area of wetlands in Japan that is located between the cities of Naha, Okinawa and Tomigusuku, and within Manko Park. Despite being called "Lake Man", it is in fact a wetland and not a lake.

Lake Man is close to Naha Port, located at the confluence of the lower reaches of the Kokuba River and the Noha River, to the south of Naha. Travelers from outside Okinawa Prefecture, en route from Naha Airport to the city Naha, cross this estuary, with the left side commanding a view of Lake Man.

[edit] Nature

Lake Man is an area of brackish water at almost the same elevation as sea level. Since the 1960s, with the planting of mangroves, it has been transforming into tidelands. It has also become a relay point for migrating birds such as shorebirds and plovers, and in 1999 was designated a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. A number of threatened species inhabit Lake Man, such as the shellfish Macoma nobilis which is not found elsewhere in Japan.

Deposition of sediments and the worsening of water quality due to the influx of wastewater are among the problems facing these wetlands.