Mahodand Lake

Mahodand Lake مہوڈنڈ جھیل
Mahodand Lake in Oshu Valley
Mahodand Lake مہوڈنڈ جھیل
Location	Usho, Swat Valley
Coordinates	35°42′50″N 72°39′01″E / 35.7138°N 72.6502°E / 35.7138; 72.6502
Lake type	Alpine/Glacial lake
Primary inflows	Glaciers water
Primary outflows	Ushu Khwar
Basin countries	Pakistan

Max. length	2 km (1.2 mi)
Max. width	1.2 km (0.75 mi)
Surface elevation	2,865 m (9,400 ft)

Settlements	Matiltan, Ushu, Kalam Valley

Mahodand Lake (Urdu: مہوڈنڈ جھیل; Pashto: د ماهو ډنډ - "Lake of Fishes") is a lake located in the upper Usho Valley at a distance of about 35 kilometres (22 mi) from Kalam in Swat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan.^[1] The lake is accessible by a four-wheel drive vehicle, and is often utilized for fishing and boating.^[2]

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Geography

The Mahodand Lake lies at the foothills of Hindu kush mountains at an elevation of 2,865 m (9,400 ft), surrounded by meadows, mountains and dense forests. Similarly, the banks of Mahodand Lake are covered by pines and pastures that serve as a camping site during the summer. The Mahodand Lake is fed by melting glaciers and springs of the Hindu Kush mountain and gives rise to Ushu Khwar, the major left tributary of the Swat River.^[3]

Flora and fauna

During the winter, the Mahodand lake freezes and is covered by heavy snow. In the summers, the basin of the lake is surrounded by a sheet of alpine flowers like geum, blue poppy, potentilla and gentian. Apart from it, the lake is encircled by diverse pinus species which serves as abode for wild birds. Similarly, the lake contains abounding trout fish, which furnish ideal opportunity for angling, but catching is allowed only to licensed anglers.^[4]

Fishing and camping

Visitors fish and camp at the lake. The waters of Mahodand lake are divided into a series of small and large streams, which once swarmed with brown and rainbow trout introduced by the former ruler of Swat State. Over-fishing by the locals for daily income, along with the illegal use of fishing methods like electrocution, dynamiting, and large nets, have significantly reduced the fish population.