Lake Sevan’s level down 13 centimeters

YEREVAN, February 2. /ARKA/. The level of Armenia’s largest Lake Sevan dropped by 1 cm on January 24-30 , 2022 to 1900.39 m (above sea level), which is 13 cm lower than the level of the lake on the same day last year, the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center reported.

It also said that some 1,268,000 cubic meters of water was brought to the lake through the Arpa-Sevan tunnel on January 24-30 and another 7,338,000 cubic meters in the period from January 1 to 30, 2022.

According to the Hydrometeorology and Monitoring Center, in the period from 2012 to January 30, 2022, the lowest level of the lake was registered in 2013 (1900.09 m) and the highest in 2021 (1900.52 m).

The Armenian parliament in August 2021 approved the amended law on Lake Sevan setting the maximum annual volume of water release from the lake for irrigation at 245 million cubic meters, up from the previously set 170 million cubic meters.

In 2017, the volume of water releases due to dry weather was increased by 100 million cubic meters above the planned 170 million. In 2018, the volume of water releases was also planned in the same volume, but on August 29, the Armenian parliament approved the release up to 210 million cubic meters. In 2020, the volume of releases did not exceed the permitted limit.

Lake Sevan is the largest freshwater alpine body of water in the entire South Caucasus. Situated at an altitude of more than 1,900 meters  the lake is vital for Armenia’s fishing, tourism (especially domestic), agriculture and other industries.