Hlawga Lake
Location:
17°00'N, 96°07'E; about 20 km north of Rangoon and 6 km east of the Rangoon River, Rangoon Division.
Area:
c.1,200 ha.
Altitude:
20m.
Biogeographical Province:
4.4.1
Wetland type:
17 & 19.
Description of site:
A shallow water storage reservoir in undulating terrain to the east of the Rangoon River. The lake has a deeply indented shoreline with many sheltered bays and many small wooded islands. The shore is gently shelving, and at low water levels large areas of mud are exposed. The lake is surrounded by sandy hills with dense scrub and secondary forest, and there is a large area of rice paddies on the plains to the north and east. Hlawga Wildlife and Zoo Park, to the southeast of the reservoir, consist of a fenced enclosure of 356 ha with dense scrub, a small freshwater lake (Zokanok Lake) and eleven small dams.
Climatic conditions:
Tropical monsoonal climate typical of southern Burma, with an average annual rainfall of about 3,200 mm. Most of the rain falls during the southwest monsoon from May to October.
Principal vegetation:
The sheltered bays support an abundant growth of submerged aquatic vegetation and some Eichhornia crassipes, and there are patches of elephant grass around the margins of the reservoir. The islands and surrounding sandy hills are covered in dense thorn scrub and secondary forest. There are extensive rice paddies to the north and east.
Land tenure:
No information.
Conservation measures taken:
The reservoir is unprotected. A 356 ha wildlife park (Hlawga Wildlife and Zoo Park) has been established close to the reservoir, for the purposes of public recreation and education. Some 400 mammals of ten species have been introduced into the park, and an Environmental Education Centre has been built. A master plan was prepared by Kyaw Nyunt Lwin et al. (1982) as part of the UNDP/FAO Nature Conservation and National Parks Project in Burma. The Wildlife Park and the Education Centre were opened to the public in 1984, but the zoo has not as yet been completed.
Conservation measures proposed:
No information.
Land use:
Water supply for Rangoon. There is some fishing with nets and traps, and the marsh vegetation is heavily grazed by domestic water buffalo and cattle. The surrounding woodland is heavily exploited for firewood.
Disturbances and threats:
There is some disturbance from fishing activities, and the surrounding woodland has been much degraded by cutting and over-grazing.
Economic and social values:
Hlawga Reservoir is an important source of water for Rangoon. The nearby Hlawga Wildlife and Zoo Park will doubtless become a popular recreational area for local Burmese.
Fauna:
The reservoir and nearby rice paddies support a wide variety of resident and migratory waterfowl. The area is particularly important for its large winter roost of Asian Openbill Storks Anastomus oscitans. A minimum of 500-1,000 birds have been present in recent years, and sometimes many more (Harald Sutter, pers. comm.). Dendrocygna javanica occurs in very large numbers, and up to several hundred Sarkidiornis ~nelanotos have been recorded. Other waterfowl observed during recent surveys include Tachybaptus ruficollis, Phalacrocorax carbo, P. niger (up to 70), Ardeola grayii. Bubulcus ibis, Threskiornis melanocephalus, Anas peociloryncha, Gallicrex cinerea, Metopidius indicus, Rostratula benghalensis, Glareola maldivarum and a variety of migratory shorebirds. Four Mycteria leucocephala were present in May 1986. Wintering birds of prey include Pandion haliaezus, Circus (aeruginosus) spilonolus, C. melanoleucos and Hieraeetus leucogaster. One of Burma's few endemic birds, the White-throated Babbler Turdoides gularis, is common in the surrounding scrub.
Special floral values:
None known.
Research and facilities:
The reservoir is frequently visited by bird-watchers from Rangoon, and waterfowl censuses were carried out in February 1987 (D.A. Scott) and February 1988 (Pyone Pyone Aye, Khin Ma Ma Thwin and Shein Gay Ngai). Fish culture investigations and training courses take place at the nearby Hlawga Freshwater Fisheries Research Station.
References:
FAO (1985b); Karpowicz (1985); Kyaw Nyunt Lwin et al. (1982); van der Yen (1987).
Criteria for Inclusion:
3b.
Source:
Derek A. Scott and references.