It's the third largest saltwater lake on Earth—or was. Iran's Oroumieh Lake, home to migrating flamingos, pelicans, and gulls, has shrunk by 60% and could disappear entirely in just a few years, thanks to persistent drought, misguided irrigation policies, and the damming of rivers that feed it. The AP talks to a local who used to give boat tours for tourists—until he started to have to stop the boat every 10 minutes to unfoul the propeller, and ultimately gave up. "The visitors were not enjoying such a boring trip," he said, noting they had to cross hundreds of meters of salty lakebed just to reach the boat from the wharf .... Read More at http://www.newser.com
Monday, May 30, 2011
Iran's Largest Lake Turning to Salt
It's the third largest saltwater lake on Earth—or was. Iran's Oroumieh Lake, home to migrating flamingos, pelicans, and gulls, has shrunk by 60% and could disappear entirely in just a few years, thanks to persistent drought, misguided irrigation policies, and the damming of rivers that feed it. The AP talks to a local who used to give boat tours for tourists—until he started to have to stop the boat every 10 minutes to unfoul the propeller, and ultimately gave up. "The visitors were not enjoying such a boring trip," he said, noting they had to cross hundreds of meters of salty lakebed just to reach the boat from the wharf .... Read More at http://www.newser.com
