The Marsar Lake is an

oligotrophic An oligotroph is an organism that can live in an environment that offers very low levels of nutrients. They may be contrasted with copiotrophs, which prefer nutritionally rich environments. Oligotrophs are characterized by slow growth, low rates of ...

alpine lake Alpine lakes are classified as lakes at high altitudes in mountainous zones, usually near or above the tree line, with extended periods of ice cover. These lakes are commonly formed from glacial activity (either current or in the past) but can al ...

located in

Tral Tral is a town, sub-district and a notified area committee in the Pulwama district of Indian-administered Kashmir. The town is situated at a distance of from summer capital, Srinagar and from district headquarters, Pulwama. Tral is the secon ...

valley of

Pulwama district The Pulwama district is located to the south of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir. Its district headquarters are situated in the city of Pulwama. It is located in the central part of the Kashmir Valley. Administration In 1979 Anantnag d ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Kashmir, the northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered ...

, India. It is famous for its scenic beauty. It also falls in the close vicinity of Aru valley in

Pahalgam Pahalgam (), known as Pahalgom (; in Kashmiri) is a town and a notified area committee, near Anantnag city in the Anantnag district of the Indian-administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a popular tourist destination and hil ...

. The lake is separated by a mountain with a minimum peak elevation of from another lake of the same nature known as

Tarsar Lake The Tarsar Lake or Tar Sar is an almond-shaped, oligotrophic alpine lake situated in between Sindh and Lidder valleys. On its west side lies Dachigam National Park, and on its south side lies Tral. The shortest route for reaching it, is from Su ...

. Due to their close proximity and similar physical characteristics, the two lakes are often called as the "twin sisters". The site has over the years become a famous tourist destination. Tarsar-Marsar Trek is one of the highly opted treks of the Kashmir Valley. A stream emerges from this lake, which travels through the Dachigam valley and enters Srinagar near Harwan garden where it fills the Sarband reservoir. This stream (Dagwan Nallah) is joined by another stream which flows from Mount Mahadeo near the Telbal village and from thereon it is called the Telbal nallah which is the primary source of the Dal Lake.

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See also