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Teshekpuk
General Information
| Description |
A huge herd of over 25,000 caribou live near Lake Teshekpuk in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and calve along the southwestern lakeshore. The lake is also very important for migratory birds. Teshekpuk Lake is part of a vast network of lagoons, deep lakes, wet meadows and river deltas that cover much of the Arctic coastal plain. Literally thousands of freshwater lakes dot the landscape. |
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| Country |
United States of America
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| Latitude |
70° 35' 0"
(70.5833) |
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| Longitude |
-153° 30'
0" (-153.5000) |
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| State |
Alaska
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Physical Characteristics
| Description |
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| Surface Area |
430.00 km2 |
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| Type |
Fresh
Permanent
Natural
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Socio-Political
| Economic Value |
The lake is of particular importance to the Inupiat people, who have many fishing and hunting camps along the shore. |
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| Major Cities |
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Watershed Management
| Description |
In 1977 the Interior Department identified a 1.7 million acre "Teshekpuk Lake Special Area" that required "maximum protection". However in 1998, a Bureau within the Interior Department announced it would permit oil and gas exploration and leasing in large portions of the Tehekpuk special area. |
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| Issues |
Although Lake Teshekpuk has been designated a special conservation area, it does lie within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska; oil and gas drilling is a serious threat to this pristine ecosystem. |
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| Monitoring |
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Biodiversity Conservation
| Description |
Large concentrations of geese gather in the Teshekpuk area to molt. Up to 60,000 geese, including up to 20% of the entire Pacific black brant population are common. Teshekpuk Lake's deep and open water protect waterfowl from predators while they are molting. The dominant mammal on the Teshekpuk coastal plain is the lemming. |
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| Designations |
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| Species of Concern |
Spectacled eider |
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Documents
Resources
News
Additional Data Sources
| • |
Birkett, C., and I. Mason. 1995. A new global lakes database for remote sensing programme studying climatically sensitive large lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 21 (3) 307-318. |
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| • |
International Lake Environment Committee, the United Nations Environment Program and Environment Agency, Government of Japan. 1997. World Lakes Database. |
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