Basin countries Japan Area 11 ha | Designated 1999 Cities Naha | |
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Location Okinawa Prefecture, Japan Surface area .11 square kilometres (0.042 sq mi) Settlements Naha and Tomigusuku, Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture | ||
Lake Man (漫湖, Manko), is an area of wetlands in Okinawa that is located between the cities of Naha and Tomigusuku, and within Manko Park. Despite being called "Lake Man", it is in fact a wetland and not a lake. Lake Man covers .11 square kilometres (0.042 sq mi).
Contents
Map of Lake Man, Tomigusuku, Okinawa Prefecture 901-0241, Japan
Lake Man is close to Naha Port, located at the confluence of the lower reaches of the Kokuba River and the Noha River, to the south of Naha. Travelers from outside Okinawa Prefecture, en route from Naha Airport to the city Naha, cross this estuary, with the left side commanding a view of Lake Man.
Nature
Lake Man is an area of brackish water at almost the same elevation as sea level. Since the 1960s, with the planting of mangroves, it has been transforming into tidelands. It has also become a relay point for migrating birds such as shorebirds and plovers, and in 1999 was designated a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
A number of threatened species inhabit Lake Man, such as the shellfish Macoma nobilis which is only found on Okinawa Island. The lake is also a noted home to sandpipers and plovers.
Deposition of sediments and the worsening of water quality due to the influx of wastewater are among the problems facing these wetlands.