Five Blues Lake National Park
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Five Blues Lake National Park is a 10-acre parcel of tropical forest in Belize, which is enclosed by over 4,000 acres of limestone hills. The lake obtained its name from the different shades of blue it reflects from the different water depths and the reflection of sunlight through the trees that frame the lake. The lake is maintained by an Association of Friends living in the Village of St. Margret's, a few minutes from the lakeside. Beside the lake is a shoreline of sunken limestone at the edge of the lake which leads to Orchid Island, where an abundance of wild orchids grows. In 2007, a drought was thought to have condemned the lake; studies were conducted to determine the cause.


History

Five Blues Lake was established as a national park in April 1991. Since the boundaries were not clearly defined, it was enlarged in April 1994, to approximately 1640 hectares, (4,000 acres). Prior to the declaration the area was mainly exploited by people for fishing, hunting, and farming. Thereafter, the site was managed by a local Non-governmental Organization (NGO), called the Association of Friends of Five Blues Lake. The lake is believed to have formed because of a blockage of an underground waterway, which is a normal feature in
karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
ic
landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...
. Various small streams also contributed to the creation of the lake.


Fauna

167 species of birds and over 20 species of bats have been identified in the park. The five wild cats of Belize (
jaguar The jaguar (''Panthera onca'') is a large cat species and the only living member of the genus '' Panthera'' native to the Americas. With a body length of up to and a weight of up to , it is the largest cat species in the Americas and the th ...
,
jaguarundi The jaguarundi (''Herpailurus yagouaroundi'') is a wild cat native to the Americas. Its range extends from central Argentina in the south to northern Mexico, through Central and South America east of the Andes. The jaguarundi is a medium-sized ...
, margay, mountain lion and
ocelot The ocelot (''Leopardus pardalis'') is a medium-sized spotted wild cat that reaches at the shoulders and weighs between on average. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Two subspecies are recognized. It is native to the southwes ...
) are said to reside within the park, which is also home to howler monkeys, tapirs, pacas (gibnut), peccaries and
armadillo Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along wi ...
s. Studies have not been done on the aquatic life that exists in the lake; however, two species of fish have been found, bay snook and tuba. Five Blues lake is surrounded by deciduous forest and lime-living vegetation. Selective
logging Logging is the process of cutting, processing, and moving trees to a location for transport. It may include skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks or skeleton cars. Logging is the beginning of a supply chain ...
,
chicle Chicle () is a natural gum traditionally used in making chewing gum and other products. It is collected from several species of Mesoamerican trees in the genus ''Manilkara'', including '' M. zapota'', '' M. chicle'', '' M. staminodella'', and '' ...
and
rubber tapping Rubber tapping is the process by which latex is collected from a rubber tree. The latex is harvested by slicing a groove into the bark of the tree at a depth of with a hooked knife and peeling back the bark. Trees must be approximately six years ...
, fruit gathering and other extractive uses, ancient Mayan
silvicultural Silviculture is the practice of controlling the growth, composition/structure, and quality of forests to meet values and needs, specifically timber production. The name comes from the Latin ('forest') and ('growing'). The study of forests and wo ...
practices, and clearing for various types of agriculture have had considerable effects on the forest over time, but today the park is sustainably managed by the local community.


Physical features and climate

The lake is found in a
karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
ic area with alluvial spots. The park also contains caves, sinkholes and exposed rock faces. The parcel contains calcareous soil, mainly shallow and stony, some drained clay areas, and riverine alluvium in the valleys, but most soil is limestone in origin. Steep hills surround the lake with seasonal
swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...
. The lake appears to be fed by small underground creeks. It has a small island with an abundance of orchids. Five Blues hydrological structure is similar to that of Blue Hole National Park. The lake collects approximately of rainfall annually. Its elevation is between above sea level. The park has water which flows over, under and through it which feeds into the Sibun River.


Drainage of lake

Unfortunately in 2006, the lake experienced a drought. Survey conducted determined that heavy rainfall in June and July 2006 led to flooding, which removed sediment fill or
organic Organic may refer to: * Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity * Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ Chemistry * Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...
material in the caves. The average monthly rainfall at Hummingbird Villages totaled in June and in July 2006. The rapid drainage of the lake still remains uncertain. It is believed that it may have resulted from failure of a plug in the lake bed cenote that eased near-vertical discharge into underlying cave channels. Although prior reports of rapid drainage of cenote did not exist, heavy rainfall may have increased pressure in the lake, but there is no evidence of a lake-bottom plug either prior to drainage or as a result of sediment erosion before refilling, and the reported depth of the cenote, which puts it well below sea level, suggests that vertical drainage is unlikely. Another cause could be that of an unblocking incident downstream, which led the water to drain out. This explanation is said to be more probable. Meerman reported that local residents had previously noted sudden fluctuations in the lake and that turbidity appeared to have become less seasonally predictable, perhaps presaging later developments. Furthermore, local residents reported that after the drainage of the lake there was a new, smaller lake in another part of the park which could point to an underground connection.


Local population

St. Margaret's (Santa Martha) Village is located on Hummingbird Highway and Lagoon Road at Mile 32. The name St. Margaret's is now used to refer specifically to an area of government sub-divided land near Mile 32 that was set up about 5 years ago to accommodate a flood of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The village has mostly unsurveyed land, referred to as the older area of settlement. The village is said to be the refuge of many immigrants in the early 1980s. In 1980, the village had a population of 60 residents, in 1991 it increased to 415 and later to 600-700 people.


References


External links


Park website
{{authority control National parks of Belize