Environment and Water Management of Domestic Lakes and Experience Exchange of Urmia Basin and Southwestern Lakes of the United States

Endurance of salt lakes in arid and semi-arid climates is one of the most significant protecting factors in ecosystems. Today, management of lakes has faced with several problems, some of them are natural and the others are anthropogenic. Although, climate changes have endangered environment of many lakes, ineffective management of water resources plays an important role in ecological changes of lakes. Since domestic lakes of Iran are usually subjected to destruction, making use of national experiences with similar climatic features (like the United States) is definitely very impressive for future studied and decision makings for protecting lakes and their management. Some lakes such as Salton Sea, Owens Lake, Mono Lake and Great Salt lake located in California, Nevada and Utah states, are the lakes with climate similar to domestic lakes of Iran like Urmia, Maharlou, Zaribar etc. Which management and protection have been very useful and effective? The results from these experiences are surely very beneficial for a country like Iran: Deserts located in arid and semi-arid region of California, Nevada and Utah states, have mainly vegetations which are compatible with setting of region and they are not exposed to wind and they don’t produce dust. Exposed to wind and they don’t produce dust. In Iran, uncontrolled grazing of livestock has caused destruction of vegetation and so the land without any coverage can originate dust. In countries with arid and semi-arid climates, population increase creates serious problem in supplying water resources, and so water management in agricultural, urban and industrial sections, will be faced to some problems, the sole way for water supply is environmental water- rights which results in destructing many ecosystems. To preserve various extincting species of a destructing ecosystem, a part of the lake can be selected and essential water for that part can be provided. This method has been operated in Salton Sea Lake and it has been presented satisfactory results. To preserve artmia and other species this plan can be operated. Economic exploitation of salts existed in Great Salt Lake, is annually implemented and it is annual economic income is 1.1 billion dollars. It was observed how we can use economic resources without any damage and in the line of lake restoration and living of some people can be shifted from agricultural works to Mining activities. Visiting these lake and specialized meetings with involved experts, were the best opportunity for confirming the above- mentioned point. The extract economic salts from the lake, one should use experiences of geological survey of Utah. To control dust, one should use experiences taken from research institute of owns lake. To plan band pass for improving Urmia lakes conditions, one should apply experiences from geological survey of Utah. In margins of all lakes, there are small museums including lakes photos ( before and after crisis), rock samples, salt samples, samples of animals and even a theatre for displaying documentary films on lake. In the lakes of the United States, there is at least one trained person for conducting tourists and presenting scientific point. There is also one shop which sells salty, symbolic shapes, hot and clothing bearing lake’s logo and it is profit is spent for the lake. The same action should be done for Urmia Lake.