Shey Phoksundo National Park
| Shey Phoksundo National Park | |
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IUCN category II (national park)
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Phoksundo Lake
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| Location | Nepal |
| Coordinates | 29°21′29″N 82°50′44″E / 29.3581°N 82.8456°ECoordinates: 29°21′29″N 82°50′44″E / 29.3581°N 82.8456°E |
| Area | 3,555 km2 (1,373 sq mi) |
| Established | 1984 |
| Governing body | Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation |
The Shey Phoksundo National Park (Nepali: शे-फोकसुण्डो She-Phoksundo) is the largest and only trans-Himalayan national park in Nepal. It was established in 1984 and covers an area of 3,555 km2 (1,373 sq mi) in the districts of Dolpa and Mugu in the Mid-Western Region, Nepal. The protected area ranges in elevation from 2,130 m (6,990 ft) to 6,885 m (22,589 ft).Phoksundo Lake is the park's prominent feature, located at an elevation of 3,612 m (11,850 ft).
The park's headquarters are in Palam, Dolpa District.
Shey Phoksundo National Park provides a diversity of spectacular landscapes and ranks among the most scenic mountain parks in the world. Much of the park lies north of the Himalayan crest. Elevations range from 2,130 m (6,990 ft) in the southeast near Ankhe to 6,883 m (22,582 ft) at the summit of Kanjiroba Himal, which lies at the southern edge of the Tibetan plateau. Phoksundo Lake lies at an elevation of 3,660 m (12,010 ft) in the upper reaches of the Suligad river. It is surrounded by glaciers and famous for its magnificent turquoise color. Near the lake’s outlet is the country’s highest waterfall.
Phoksundo Lake has a water surface of 494 ha (1,220 acres), and was declared a Ramsar site in September 2007. The lake is up to 145 m (476 ft) deep, measured using echo-sounding technology.
The Langu river drains the high Dolpo plateau located in the north-east of the park. The Suligad and Jugdual rivers form the southern catchment flowing south into the Thuli Bheri river.
Spanning the northern and southern aspects of the Himalayan crest, the park experiences a wide climatic range and lies in the transition zone from a monsoon dominated to an arid climate. Annual precipitation reaches 1,500 mm (59 in) in the south, whereas on northern slopes less than 500 mm (20 in) of rain falls. Most of the precipitation occurs during monsoon from July to September. The Dhaulagiri and Kanjiroba massifs form a massive barrier preventing most of the rain from reaching the Trans-Himalayan area. Winters are quite severe with frequent snowfalls above 2,500 m (8,200 ft) and temperatures remaining below freezing above 3,000 m (9,800 ft) through much of the winter.
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