Ha Chhu
Encyclopedia
The Ha Chhu is a river in west-central Bhutan
, it is a tributary of the Raidak River
(Wong Chhu).
. The source area is located to the south of Chomo Lhari (Mountain of the Goddess). A number of smaller streams flowing from glaciers in hanging valleys join the main stream. The Ha Chhu then flows in a general direction, south south-east to join the Wong Chhu at Chukho.
at 2200 metres (7,217.8 ft), and Thimphu
at 2300 metres (7,545.9 ft).
The upper valley of Ha Chhu is glaciated but in its lower and middle course it flows along a deep V-shaped valley. There are many rocky outcrops along this river.
The Ha valley is situated on Bhutan’s border with China, 61 kilometres (37.9 mi) from Paro
. One can climb to Chele La (mountain pass) at a height of 3988 metres (13,084 ft), the highest point on Bhutans’ roads. The mountain pass offers views of surrounding peaks and the Paro and Ha valleys.
Bulk of the Ha Chhu catchment is under alpine, sub-alpine and temperate mixed coniferous forests.
is a large village that has come up along this river. Situated at a steep drop of the river, it has a fort. It has retained the traditional Bhutanese style of architecture.
(salmo trutta) and asla (schizothorax progastus
) was found in the Ha Chhu. Brown trout
(salmo trutta fario) was first introduced in Bhutan in 1930. A hatchery was established at Ha immediately thereafter and another at Wangchutaba in 1975. The asla is held in high esteem by the Bhutanese and brown trout seems to be feeding on and suppressing indigenous cold-water fish such as the asla. In 1987, the FAO fact finding and project idea formulating mission for small-scale cold-water fisheries visited Bhutan. A subsequent visit by experts established that the Ha hatchery was more conducive to fish culture than that in the foothill ponds.
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
, it is a tributary of the Raidak River
Raidak River
The Raidak River is a tributary of the Brahmaputra River, and a trans-boundary river, flows through Bhutan, India and Bangladesh.-Bhutan:...
(Wong Chhu).
Course
The Ha Chhu originates in a valley glacier on the south facing slope of the main HimalayasHimalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. The source area is located to the south of Chomo Lhari (Mountain of the Goddess). A number of smaller streams flowing from glaciers in hanging valleys join the main stream. The Ha Chhu then flows in a general direction, south south-east to join the Wong Chhu at Chukho.
Ha valley
Western Bhutan is basically made up of the valleys of Ha at 2700 metres (8,858.3 ft), ParoParo Chhu
The Paro Chhu is a river of western Bhutan. It is a tributary of the Wong Chhu, which is known as the Raidak in its lower reaches.-Course:...
at 2200 metres (7,217.8 ft), and Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
at 2300 metres (7,545.9 ft).
The upper valley of Ha Chhu is glaciated but in its lower and middle course it flows along a deep V-shaped valley. There are many rocky outcrops along this river.
The Ha valley is situated on Bhutan’s border with China, 61 kilometres (37.9 mi) from Paro
Paro, Bhutan
-History:Rinpung Dzong a fortress-monastery overlooking the Paro valley has a long history. A monastery was first built on the site by Padma Sambhava at the beginning of the tenth century, but it wasn't until 1646 that Ngawang Namgyal built a larger monastery on the old foundations, and for...
. One can climb to Chele La (mountain pass) at a height of 3988 metres (13,084 ft), the highest point on Bhutans’ roads. The mountain pass offers views of surrounding peaks and the Paro and Ha valleys.
Bulk of the Ha Chhu catchment is under alpine, sub-alpine and temperate mixed coniferous forests.
Ha village
HaHa, Bhutan
Ha or Has is a town and seat of Haa District in Bhutan.Ha is situated in the west of the Sandalwood Kingdom near Sikkim in the Ha Valley. The major economic activity is rice production. It contains two Buddhist temples.-Further reading:...
is a large village that has come up along this river. Situated at a steep drop of the river, it has a fort. It has retained the traditional Bhutanese style of architecture.
Lhakhang Karpo
Lhakhang Karpo (temple of the white dove), located at Dumchoe, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Ha village, is a monastery believed to have been built in the 8th century by the Tibetan King, Songtsen Goenpo, after he sent two doves (one black and one white) to find a sacred place to build a monastery. Lhakhang Karpo is the main seat of Ha’s guardian deity – Ap Chundu.Fish culture
Traditionally salmonidaeSalmonidae
Salmonidae is a family of ray-finned fish, the only living family currently placed in the order Salmoniformes. It includes salmon, trout, chars, freshwater whitefishes and graylings...
(salmo trutta) and asla (schizothorax progastus
Schizothorax progastus
Schizothorax progastus or Dinnawah Snowtrout is a species of ray-finned fish in the genus Schizothorax....
) was found in the Ha Chhu. Brown trout
Brown trout
The brown trout and the sea trout are fish of the same species....
(salmo trutta fario) was first introduced in Bhutan in 1930. A hatchery was established at Ha immediately thereafter and another at Wangchutaba in 1975. The asla is held in high esteem by the Bhutanese and brown trout seems to be feeding on and suppressing indigenous cold-water fish such as the asla. In 1987, the FAO fact finding and project idea formulating mission for small-scale cold-water fisheries visited Bhutan. A subsequent visit by experts established that the Ha hatchery was more conducive to fish culture than that in the foothill ponds.