Info about habitat

A part of article from “King Country”:

Report from the shoreline
An inquiry into incredible Inle Lake

Inle Lake is situated in Nyaungshwe Township, southern Shan State in Burma. It is the second largest lake in Burma at about 14 miles long and 7 miles wide (about twice the size of Lake Sammamish). The Inle region is characterized by a large, flat valley running north to south which is surrounded by mountain ranges averaging 4000 feet in elevation. The lake averages 2915 feet above sea level. Over 200 villages border the lake and inhabit the surrounding watershed.

The depth of the lake fluctuates with seasons. The average depth in the summer is four meters and in the rainy season, seven meters. The lake bed is comprised of fine silt deposited by the surrounding streams which flow through the plateau’s limestone. Thirty streams flow into the lake: 17 from the east, 12 from the west, and one from the north. Inle lake has one outlet which flows south, entering the Thanlwin River.

Fishes and birds

Sixteen species of fish inhabit Inle Lake, including carp, catfish, and snakehead fishes. Inle is rich in birds with 57 species of forest birds and 43 species of water birds. Several species of egret, sea gull, commorant, wild duck, and magpie are abundant in northwest Inle. Migratory birds usually live in Inle wetlands from October to May.

Nga-phane, a symbol of Inle

The Inle carp, Cyprinus carpio intha or Nga-phane, plays an important role in local food supply as well as the cultural symbol of ethnic Intha. The carp breed year-round with clean and clear water. However, because of poor water quality, the Nga-phane population has become surprisingly scarce.

Inle flora

Native aquatic plants include pondweeds (Potamogeton), coontail (Ceratophyllum), bladderwort (Utricularia), stonewort (Nitella), muskgrass (Chara), and elephant grass (Saccharum spotaneum). People use elephant grass to make mats while pondweeds are used for food by both people and fish.

Invasive plants in Inle Lake

Water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) was introduced to the lake about 60 years ago as an ornamental plant. Although the plant is used for gas production, paper, and bag making, the over abundant population obstructs waterways along the lake.

Roberto