羊卓雍措 Yamdrok Lake

Day 2

羊卓雍措，藏语意为“碧玉湖”，位于西藏自治区山南市贡嘎县和浪卡子县，307省道羊湖景区旁，与纳木措、玛旁雍措并称西藏三大圣湖， 介于东经90.08—91.45，北纬28.27—29.12之间。 羊卓雍措是由于约亿年前冰川泥石流阻塞河道而形成的， 是青藏高原南部最大的封闭性内陆湖泊，湖水面积638平方千米， 湖面海拔4441米，平均深度约23.6米，蓄水量约16立方千米， 湖岸线250千米，流域面积6100平方千米，湖水储量约160亿立方米。 

据当地林业部门观察测算，羊卓雍措湖鸟岛和鸟类数量均为全国罕见。这些岛屿上，均有各种鸟类出没和栖息。除鸟类外，栖息在羊卓雍措湖流域的野生动物种类极为丰富，哺乳类有雪豹、盘羊、猃痢、水獭、野驴、岩羊、黄羊、獐等国家一、二类保护动物。

羊卓雍措是集高原湖泊、雪山、岛屿、牧场、温泉、野生动植物、寺庙等多种景观为一体的、独特的自然风景区， 与纳木措、玛旁雍措并称西藏三大天湖， 周围还有常年不溶的雪山冰峰，最高的达海拔7000多米。

Yamdrok Lake (also known as Yamdrok Yumtso or Yamzho Yumco）is a freshwater lake in Tibet. It is one of the three largest lakes in Tibet. It is over 72 km (45 mi) long. The lake is surrounded by many snow-capped mountains and is fed by numerous small streams. The lake has an outlet stream, a tributary of Yarlung Tsangpo, at its far western end and means turquoise in English due to its color.

Around 90 km (56 mi) to the west of the lake lies the Tibetan town of Gyantse and Lhasa is 100 km (62 mi) to the northeast. According to local mythology, Yamdok Yumtso lake is the transformation of a goddess.

The Yamdrok Hydropower Station was completed and dedicated in 1996 near the small village of Baidi at the lake's western end. This power station is the largest in Tibet