Lake Akan 阿寒湖 |
|
---|---|
The view from Mount Oakan (July 2008) | |
Location | Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan |
Lake type | Dimictic |
Primary outflows | Akan River |
Catchment area | 148 km2 (57 sq mi) |
Basin countries | Japan |
Surface area | 13 km2 (3,200 acres) |
Average depth | 17.8 m (58 ft) |
Max. depth | 44.8 m (147 ft) |
Water volume | 0.23 km3 (0.055 cu mi) |
Shore length1 | 25.9 km (16.1 mi) |
Surface elevation | 420 m (1,380 ft) |
Frozen | December to April |
Islands | 4: Ōjima, Kojima, Yaitai Island, Chūrui Island |
Settlements | Kushiro |
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. |
Lake Akan (阿寒湖 Akan-ko ) is a lake in Kushiro, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is located in Akan National Park and is a Ramsar Site.[1][2]
Contents |
Volcanic activity formed the lake some 6,000 years ago, when a dam was formed. The lake used to have a clarity of 8–9 meters in the 1930s. Pollution from local hotspring resorts has decreased the transparency to 3–4 meters. [3]
The lake is famous for the marimo (Aegagropila sauteri), aggregations of algae that form into spherical shapes 2–15 cm in diameter. Other flora of the lake include the following:[3]
Kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) are native to Lake Akan. Other fauna of the lake include the following:[3]