imported>Lancepark: /* External links */ links

2021-08-24T15:51:43Z

External links: links

New page

{{short description|Lake in India}}
{{Infobox lake
|name = Thol Lake Thol Bird Sanctuary
|image =Thol Lake - Gujarat, India - Flickr - Emmanuel Dyan (12).jpg
|caption = Flamingos and a black winged stilt in Thol Lake
|alt=Several wide sandbars with water in front of and between them, with numerous long-necked, pink birds wading up to their bellies in the water
|image_bathymetry =
|caption_bathymetry =
|basin_countries = India
|location = Thol village near [[Kalol (Gandhinagar)|Kalol]], [[Gujarat]]
|coords = {{Coord|23|22.50|N|72|37.50|E|region:IN_type:waterbody|display=inline,title}}
|lake_type = [[Lentic]]
|inflow =
|pushpin_map=India Gujarat
|pushpin_map_alt=A map of Gujarat, India, with a mark indicating the location of Thol Lake
|outflow =
|catchment = {{convert|15500|ha}}
|length =
|width =
|area = {{convert|699|ha}}
|depth =
|max-depth =
|volume = {{convert|84|e6m3}}
|residence_time =
|shore =
|elevation =
|islands =
|cities =
|frozen =
{{Designation list
| embed = yes
| designation1_offname = Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary
| designation1 = Ramsar
| designation1_date = 5 April 2021
| designation1_number = 2458<ref name="RSIS">{{Cite web|title=Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary|website=[[Ramsar Convention|Ramsar]] Sites Information Service|url=https://rsis.ramsar.org/ris/2458|access-date=24 August 2021}}</ref>}}
}}

'''Thol Lake''' is an artificial lake near Thol village in [[Kadi, India|Kadi]] in [[Mehsana District]] in the Indian [[States and union territories of India|state]] of [[Gujarat]]. It was constructed as an irrigation tank in 1912. It is a fresh water lake surrounded by marshes. It was declared the '''Thol Bird Sanctuary''' in 1988; it is a habitat to 150 species of birds, about 60% are [[waterbirds]]. Many [[migratory birds]] nest and breed in the lake and its periphery. The two most prominent species of birds recorded in the sanctuary are [[flamingoes]] and [[sarus crane]] (''Grus antigone'').<ref name=Life>{{Cite web|url=http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=18141|title=Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary|access-date=17 April 2015|publisher=BirdLife International}}</ref><ref name=Birds>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kolkatabirds.com/gujarat/thol.htm|title=Thol Sanctuary, Ahmedabad, Gujarat|access-date=17 April 2015|publisher=Kolkata Birds.com}}</ref> The sanctuary is also proposed to be declared an [[Eco-Sensitive Zone]], conforming to the [[Environment Protection Act, 1986|Environment (Protection) Act, 1986]] (29 of 1986), for which draft notification has been prepared.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/content/383610/draft-notification-declaring-the-area-around-thol-wildlife-sanctuary-gujarat-as-eco-sensitive-zone/|title=Draft Notification declaring the area around Thol Wildlife Sanctuary, Gujarat as Eco-Sensitive Zone |access-date=17 April 2015 |date=6 January 2013 |publisher=Ministry of Environment and Forests}}</ref>

==Topography==
The lake drains a catchment area of {{convert|15500|ha}}.<ref name=Life/> It is in a semi-arid zone of the Mehsana district with dominance of dry [[deciduous]] vegetation.<ref name=Global>{{Cite web|url=http://theglobaljournals.com/ijsr/file.php?val=January_2014_1388659689_09faf_152.pdf|format=pdf|title= Status of Lifeforms of Angiosperms Found at ‘Thol Lake Wildlife Sanctuary’ (North Gujarat) in Comparison of Normal Biological Spectrum (NBS)|access-date=17 April 2015|publisher= International Journal of Scientific Research}}</ref>

The climate in the area consists of three seasons: [[winter]], [[summer]] and [[monsoon]]. The average annual rainfall in the catchment of the lake is {{convert|600|mm}} with a minimum of {{convert|100|mm}} and maximum of {{convert|800|mm}}. The maximum and minimum temperatures recorded in the area are {{convert|43|C}} and {{convert|8|C}}.<ref name=Global/>

The lake is situated near Thol village {{convert|20|km}} from [[Kalol (Gandhinagar)|Kalol]] and {{convert|40|km}} north-west of [[Ahmedabad]], {{convert|75|km}} from [[Mehsana]] in [[Mehsana District]].<ref name=Life/>

==History==
[[File:Thor-bird-sanctuary-ahmedabad-gujarat.jpg|right|thumb|Thol Lake]]
The lake was initially built in 1912 as a tank by the [[Gaekwad dynasty|Gaekwad regime]] to provide irrigation facilities to farmers. This established the user rights of the lake water. The operation and management of the lake is under the dual control of the Forest and Irrigation departments of the Government of Gujarat.<ref name=Life/>

==Features==
The lake has a storage capacity of {{convert|84|e6m3}}. Its water spread area is {{convert|699|ha}}.<ref name=Life/> Lake's shore length is {{convert|5.62|km}} and water depth is shallow.<ref name=Global/>

==Thol Wildlife Sanctuary==
Thol Wildlife Sanctuary, a shallow water reservoir, situated 25 km (15 mi) northwest of Ahmedabad and most popular birding place near Ahmedabad after [[Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary]] which is about 50 km (30 mi) from Thol Wildlife Sanctuary. Geographically Thol Wildlife Sanctuary falls in [[Mehsana]] district of North [[Gujarat]]. Kadi, a [[taluka]] headquarters of the district, is just 22 km (14 mi) away from the Sanctuary. Thol Wildlife Sanctuary is a man-made (made by [[Sayajirao_Gaekwad_III|Sayajirao Gayakvad]], Ruler of Baroda) irrigation tank built in 1912 with water storage capacity of 84,000,000 m3 (68,000 ac·ft) and command area of 1450 ha (5.6 mi2) and [[drainage basin|catchment]] area of 153 km2 (59 mi2).[http://www.gujarattourism.com/destination/wildlife/thol1.html#] The wetland is predominated by the open water [[habitat]], which is surrounded by cropland, fallow land and scrub land. Due to its popularity amongst the bird fraternity the area was notified as Sanctuary in November 1988 under Sec. 18 of [[Wildlife Protection Act, 1972|Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mapsofindia.com/gujarat/wildlife-tours/thol-wildlife-sanctuary.html|title=hol Wildlife Sanctuary at Mehsana}}</ref> The best time to visit the place is November to February.

==Flora==
[[File:Thol lake 01.JPG|right|thumb|Trees on the periphery of the lake]]
Apart from trees in the peripheral area of the lake, vegetation reported in this wetland consists of emergent and floating aquatic plants of ''[[Acacia nilotica]]'', ''[[Acacia leucoploea|A. leucoploea]]'', ''[[Zizyphus]]'', ''[[Azadirachta indica]]'', ''[[Ficus]]'' sp., ''Salvadora'' sp., ''[[Prosopis|Prosopis chilensis]]'', and ''[[Capparis]]'' sp.<ref name=Life/> According to the Normal Biological Spectrum (NBS) study of the sanctuary, [[drought]] resistant vegetation in the category of Bio-geographiczone – IV consisting of thorny shrubs and trees are found, and also reported are mixed flora of aquatic and marshy plants.<ref name=Global/>

==Fauna==
===Birds===
Thol Lake, as a bird sanctuary, an inland wetland and a [[protected area]], is known as a very good habitat for [[waterfowl]] during the [[monsoon]] season, extending through the [[winter]]. According to [[BirdLife International|IBA]] reports there are 150 species of birds in the sanctuary of which nearly 60% (90 species) are stated to be waterbirds which are mostly wintering birds. The most prominent of these species is the [[flamingos]].<ref name=Life/> At one time 5-6 thousand flamingos were reported here.{{Sfn|Rahmani|Islam|2004|p=402}} [[Sarus crane]]s (''Grus antigone''), the tallest of the flying birds, nest here in large numbers.<ref name=Life/>

The rich bird life of Thol Wildlife Sanctuary encompasses native as well as [[bird migration|migratory]] birds. Many winter visitors like [[great white pelican]]s, [[flamingo]]s, a variety of waterfowl including [[mallard]]s and large numbers of [[geese]], [[sarus crane]]s and many other waders are common site at sanctuary.

According to the [[IUCN]] categorization, the birds reported in the area are: [[greater flamingo]] (''Phoenicopterus roseus'') of [[least concern]] species; [[Dalmatian pelican]] (''Pelecanus crispus''), [[greater spotted eagle]] (''Clanga clanga''), [[sarus crane]] (''Antigone antigone''), and [[Indian skimmer]] (''Rynchops albicollis'') of the [[vulnerable species|vulnerable]] species; and the [[white-rumped vulture]] (''Gyps bengalensis'') and [[Indian vulture]] (''Gyps indicus'') of the [[critically endangered]] species.<ref name=Life/>

===Mammals===
Some of the important fauna reported in the area surrounding the lake are: [[bluebull]] (''Boselaphus tragocamelus''), [[golden jackal]] (''Canis aureus'') and [[blackbuck]] (''Antilope cervicapra'').<ref name=Life/>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last1= Rahmani |first1=Asad Rafi |last2= Islam |first2=M. Zafar-Ul|title=Important bird areas in India: priority sites for conservation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G98PAQAAMAAJ|date=10 December 2004|publisher=IBCN, Bombay Natural History Society|isbn=978-0-19-567333-3}}

==External links==
* [http://thollake.com Thol Wildlife Sanctuary]

{{Ramsar sites in India}}
{{commons category|Thol Lake}}
[[Category:Bird sanctuaries of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Lakes of Gujarat]]
[[Category:Mehsana district]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Mehsana district]]
[[Category:Ramsar sites in India]]

Thol Lake - Revision history

imported>Lancepark: /* External links */ links