The «Lake Arpi» National Park is located in the north of the Shirak region, nearby the borders with Turkey and Georgia. It is located at an altitude of 1500-3100 meters above sea level and occupies an area of 21.179 hectares. The National park is a place of distribution of a unique transcaucasian ecosystem.
The "Lake Arpi" National Park was founded in 2009 for the preservation and examination of the landscape and biological diversity, gene pool and natural heritage in the basins of Arpi, Ardenis lakes and the left tributaries of the upper stream of the Akhuryan River, as well as the territory of the southwestern slopes of the Javakheti mountain range
The territory of the park is 21179.3 hectares and is divided into 5 sections: eastern, western, Ardenis, Alvar, Akhuryan gorge.
The territory of the National Park is covered with steppes, meadows, subalpine and alpine meadows and swamps. The presence of numerous endemics of Armenia, the South Caucasus and the Caucasus gives the territory a great ecological significance.
89 species of butterflies and about 700 species of vascular plants have been found in the Arpi National Park, including a number of endemics of the Caucasus and Armenia. But the most amazing fact is that the park is the only habitat of the Darevsky's viper in the world!
The Park is a paradise for hundreds of species of migratory and non-migratory birds, some of which are registered in the international Red Book. According to scientists, more than 190 species of birds live in this area, 120 of them give birth to offspring here.
There are 249 vertebrate species in the national park, of which:
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Fish – 12 species (1 listed in the Red Book of Armenia),
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Amphibians - 3 species,
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Reptiles - 10 species (2 are listed in the Red Book of Armenia),
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Birds - 193 species (33 are listed in the Red Book of Armenia),
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Mammals - 31 species (4 are listed in the Red Book of Armenia).
Lake Arpi is the habitat of the largest colony of the Armenian gull and the only breeding site of the Dalmatian pelican in Armenia. Other endangered species that can often be noticed in the park are the corncrake, black stork, common shelduck and common crane.
The Lake Arpi reservoir is located in the territory of the Lake Arpi National Park, at the source of the Akhuryan River, on the Ashotsk Plateau, about 16.5 km northwest of Amasia village, at an altitude of 2023 m.
The reservoir was put into operation in 1951. Its area increased from 4.5 km² to 22 km², the average depth is 4.2 m (maximum - 8 m, previously it was 1.6 m). The volume increased to 100 mln m3 (previously it was 3-5 mln m3). A 13-meter-high dam was built, the usable volume made 102 mln m3. The length of the reservoir is 7.3 km, width is 4.3 km. The dam is ferroconcrete, its height is 10 (11.2) m, length is 80 m.
Arpi was once a lake, but it turned into a reservoir in 1950. The lake has a volcano-tectonic origin. In 1946-195, lake Arpi was artificially enlarged in order to increase the volume of water resources in the lake.
Water is released using two flat metal shields. The reservoir irrigates the lands of the Shirak valley and the Upper Akhuryan basin. Additional water from the reservoir is received through the Talin and Armavir canals. The reservoir freezes over in winter.
The reservoir is rich in fish: 12 species of fish are found here. There are fish farming and fisheries in the territory.
