YEREVAN, MAY 29, ARMENPRESS: A monitoring station near the Lake Sevan said the lake’s level was 1,897.32 m above sea level May 28, against 1,896.78 m last year this time. The rise in the level makes 54 centimeters.
The level of the lake began growing last April-May after heavy precipitation and extensive snow melting in the surrounding mountains. It is expected to grow further this June because of the same reasons. Officials say no water will be pumped out of it in June for irrigation and municipal needs.
Lake Sevan is one of the largest high altitude freshwater lakes in the world. The lake is surrounded by high volcanic mountains, which rise to over 3,500 meters above sea level. About thirty rivers and streams flow into the lake and only one river, Hrazdan, flows out through a gorge, falling down by 1,000 meters from the level of the lake.
The level of the lake drastically dropped in the 50-s (by about 19 meters) of the last century following construction of a chain of hydro power plants on the Hrazdan River and pumping out water for irrigation purposes.
The drop in the lake’s water level necessitated building the Arpa-Sevan 48 Km tunnel, which, after many years of construction through the mountains, began supplying water to the lake, in 1981, from part of the Arpa River. Another tunnel, Vorotan, has been built in recent years, to supply water to Lake Sevan. Vorotan is expected to begin operation very soon.
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