Detailed Data - Lake Hovsgol

Partner Living Lakes

Mongol Ecology Center (MEC)

Partner Lake since

2011

Origin

tectonic

Age

at least 2 million years

surrounded by the Lake Hovsgol National Park (since 1992)

Horidal Saridag Strictly Protected Area (since 1997) in the south-west

Size

2,760 sq. km [km²]

second largest lake by surface area in Mongolia

Length

136 km

Width

20 - 40 km

Length of the shoreline

414 km

Water volume

380 cubic km [km³]

largest lake by volume in Mongolia,

corresponding nearly 1 % of the global fresh water reserves

Maximum depth

267 m

Sea level

1,645 m

Catchment area

4,920 sq. km [km²]

In-flows

46 smaller brooks and rivers

Out-flows

1 (Egiin Gol, flowing into the Selenga River)

4

Salinity

fresh water

Precipitation per year

290 - 300 mm

Frozen time period

some months

Completely frozen over

every year in winter

Location

Mongolia

Vegetation

tundra, alpine and taiga forests, mountain steppe, streams, wetlands and ponds

Number of species

794 plant and tree species

369 animal species

258 migratory bird species

among them 10 % endemic, 136 endangered species

Birds

291 species, numerous in four different habitats

alpine tundra: hosts rock ptarmigan, altai snowcock and Himalayan accentor

western mountain taiga: wood grouse, hazel grouse and black woodpecker

forest-steppe and steppe in the south: Mongolian and steppe larks, tawny pipit, lesser kestrel, hoopoe, upland buzzard, Daurian partridge, steppe eagle and great bustard

wetlands and lakes: common and black headed gull, numerous duck species, ruddy shell duck, cormorant, whooper swan, many shorebirds, northern lapwing, white tailed sea eagle and osprey

Mammals

68 species,

Argali sheep, ibex, elk, reindeer, musk deer, brown bear, lynx, marten, beaver, wolf, moose, Siberian mole, and occasional sightings of foot prints of snow leopards in the Hor’dol Sar’dag and Sayan Mountains

Fish

9 species,

Siberian grayling, Hovsgol grayling, Asian trout, Arctic cisco, Siberian roach, pike, perch, salmon and sturgeon

Inhabitants (lake-side)

14,580 people (population density: 2 people / sq. km)

Biggest problems

pollution from unplanned, rapid development of tourism and its infrastructure, poaching, illegal fishing and logging, overgrazing