Lake Izu

This swamp is located in the northern part of Miyagi Prefecture, on the border between Kurihara City and Tome City. It was formed when water from the valley at the end of the Tsukidate Plateau was blocked by the natural levee of the Hasamagawa River. The water is shallow, at just 1.3 meters deep, and attempts to reclaim it had been made since the feudal era, but were thwarted by opposition from farmers, and full-scale reclamation only began after World War II. The total reclaimed area is about 4.4 square kilometers. The remaining lake area is 4.5 square kilometers, and together with Uchinuma to the west, it has been designated a national natural monument as a migration site for swans, geese, ducks, and other birds. In 1985, it and Uchinuma became the second wetlands in Japan to be registered under the Ramsar Convention.

[Kotaro Aoyagi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

宮城県北部、栗原市(くりはらし)と登米市(とめし)の境界にある沼。築館(つきだて)台地末端の谷からの水が迫川(はさまがわ)の自然堤防に妨げられてできたもの。水深は1.3メートルと浅く、藩政時代より干拓が試みられたが農民の反対により挫折(ざせつ)し、本格化したのは第二次世界大戦後である。干拓総面積約4.4平方キロメートル。残存湖沼面積は4.5平方キロメートルで、西方の内沼とともにハクチョウ、ガン、カモなどの飛来地として国の天然記念物に指定されている。なお、1985年（昭和60）には、内沼とともに日本で2番目にラムサール条約登録湿地となった。

［青柳光太郎］

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