Songkhla Lake
Encyclopedia
The Songkhla lake is the largest natural lake
in Thailand
, located on the Malay peninsula
in the southern part of the country. Covering an area of 1,040 km² it borders the provinces of Songkhla
and Phatthalung. Despite being called a lake, this water surface is actually a lagoon complex geologically.
The lake is divided into three distinct parts. The southern part opens by a 380 m wide strait to the Gulf of Thailand
at the city of Songkhla
, and contains brackish water of about half the salinity of the ocean. Further north after a bottleneck of only 6 km width is the Thale Luang (782.80 km²), and finally at the northern end in between a mangrove swamp the 28 km² small Thale Noi in Phatthalung Province. The most striking feature is the long 75 km long spit
which separates the lake from the sea. Unlike most spits, it is probably formed when originally existing islands became interconnected by the silting from the lake precursor.
wetland since 1998. It is a part of the larger Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area, created in 1975.
Kuan Ki Sian of the Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area is located at 07º50’N 100º08’E. in a Non-hunting Area, Phatthalung. Located just north of the very large Thale Luang (Lake Songkhla Complex) in the south of the country, it is one of the few surviving intact freshwater
wetland
ecosystems in Thailand. Among the specific wetland types found here are lake
, marsh
, Melaleuca
(also termed "paperbark") swamp
forest
, paddy fields, and swamp grasslands.
"Kuans" are island
s free of water for most of the year located in the Melaleuca
swamp forest. Kuan Ki Sian is a knoll
at 0–2 meters above mean sea level within the Thale Noi area. The Thale Noi area is home to more than 5,000 families
, almost all of which rely on some resource extraction
or other land use
within the area. Activities include fishing
, cattle
grazing, cultivation
, mat
-making and tourism
. The site is visited by more than 200,000 foreign and local visitors annually.
s is found in Thale Luang, near the Si-Ha Islands of Phatthalung, however threatened to extinction by the overfishing and pollution of the lake. The IUCN Red List shows several populations, including those in the Mahakam River
and Malampaya Sound, as critically endangered.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, located on the Malay peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
in the southern part of the country. Covering an area of 1,040 km² it borders the provinces of Songkhla
Songkhla Province
Songkhla is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Satun, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani and Yala. To the south it borders Kedah and Perlis of Malaysia....
and Phatthalung. Despite being called a lake, this water surface is actually a lagoon complex geologically.
The lake is divided into three distinct parts. The southern part opens by a 380 m wide strait to the Gulf of Thailand
Gulf of Thailand
The Gulf of Thailand , also known in to Malays as Teluk Siam literally meant Gulf of Siam, is a shallow arm of the South China Sea.-Geography:...
at the city of Songkhla
Songkhla
Songkhla is a city in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. As of 2006 it had a population of 75,048...
, and contains brackish water of about half the salinity of the ocean. Further north after a bottleneck of only 6 km width is the Thale Luang (782.80 km²), and finally at the northern end in between a mangrove swamp the 28 km² small Thale Noi in Phatthalung Province. The most striking feature is the long 75 km long spit
Spit (landform)
A spit or sandspit is a deposition landform found off coasts. At one end, spits connect to land, and extend into the sea. A spit is a type of bar or beach that develops where a re-entrant occurs, such as at cove's headlands, by the process of longshore drift...
which separates the lake from the sea. Unlike most spits, it is probably formed when originally existing islands became interconnected by the silting from the lake precursor.
Ramsar Wetlands
The Phru Khuan Khi Sian wetlands near the Thale Noi Lake are protected as a RamsarRamsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
wetland since 1998. It is a part of the larger Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area, created in 1975.
Kuan Ki Sian of the Thale Noi Non-Hunting Area is located at 07º50’N 100º08’E. in a Non-hunting Area, Phatthalung. Located just north of the very large Thale Luang (Lake Songkhla Complex) in the south of the country, it is one of the few surviving intact freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
ecosystems in Thailand. Among the specific wetland types found here are lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
, marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
, Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
(also termed "paperbark") swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
, paddy fields, and swamp grasslands.
"Kuans" are island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
s free of water for most of the year located in the Melaleuca
Melaleuca
Melaleuca is a genus of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae known for its natural soothing and cleansing properties. There are well over 200 recognised species, most of which are endemic to Australia...
swamp forest. Kuan Ki Sian is a knoll
Hillock
A hillock or knoll is a small hill, usually separated from a larger group of hills such as a range. Hillocks are similar in their distribution and size to small mesas or buttes. The term is largely a British one...
at 0–2 meters above mean sea level within the Thale Noi area. The Thale Noi area is home to more than 5,000 families
Family
In human context, a family is a group of people affiliated by consanguinity, affinity, or co-residence. In most societies it is the principal institution for the socialization of children...
, almost all of which rely on some resource extraction
Resource extraction
The related terms natural resource extraction both refer to the practice of locating, acquiring and selling natural resources....
or other land use
Land use
Land use is the human use of land. Land use involves the management and modification of natural environment or wilderness into built environment such as fields, pastures, and settlements. It has also been defined as "the arrangements, activities and inputs people undertake in a certain land cover...
within the area. Activities include fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
grazing, cultivation
Tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...
, mat
Mat
A mat is a generic term for a piece of fabric or flat material, generally placed on a floor or other flat surface, and serving a range of purposes including:* providing a regular or flat surface, such as a mousepad....
-making and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. The site is visited by more than 200,000 foreign and local visitors annually.
Irrawaddy Dolphin
A small population of Irrawaddy DolphinIrrawaddy dolphin
The Irrawaddy dolphin is a euryhaline species of oceanic dolphin found in discontinuous subpopulations near sea coasts and in estuaries and rivers in parts of the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia.-Etymology and taxonomic history:...
s is found in Thale Luang, near the Si-Ha Islands of Phatthalung, however threatened to extinction by the overfishing and pollution of the lake. The IUCN Red List shows several populations, including those in the Mahakam River
Mahakam River
The Mahakam River is in Indonesia. It flows 980 km from the district of Long Apari in the highlands of Borneo, to its mouth at the Makassar Strait....
and Malampaya Sound, as critically endangered.