Listen my children and you will hear the story of how Lake Layla in Saudi Arabia just disappeared.
Lake Layla |
Water Skiing |
Kashtah (picnic) |
What's Happening? | What Lake? | Extinction? |
The story of how Lake Layla, on the edge of Rub Al-Khali (the Empty Quarter) in Saudi Arabia just disappeared.
Article and Photographs submitted by John Paul Jones of www.wastausa.com
The town of Layla lies in the Aflaj region of Saudi Arabia, which is approximately 350 km (217 miles) by road southwest of Riyadh. A few kilometers southeast of Layla was the largest permanent natural lake on the Arabian peninsula. According to a paleontologist who had worked at Aramco for 30 years, the lake was formed from water which fell on the Asir mountain range, to the far west, and traveled underground along a fault line in two major rock formations. The lake occurred at a point where the fault line pierced the earth's surface. The same geological structure provided much of the water for the Aflaj area, making it a rich agricultural region.
In the late '70's and early '80's, the lake provided recreational opportunities for expatriates living in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. As pictured, the lake, which was approximately 2 km (1.2 miles) long by .75 km (.4 miles) wide, provided ample opportunity for water-skiing. It was also a suitable venue for fresh-water scuba diving. At 20 meters (22 yards) underwater, due to the minerals in the water, it would appear perfectly translucent in all directions. Saudi nationals living in the region also utilized the lake for recreational purposes, as they undoubtedly had done for centuries. "Holiday Chalets" were even constructed along the south side of the lake.
Unfortunately, beginning around 1983 the water level began to decline. By 1989 it was down almost 20 meters (22 yards). By the mid-90's there was only a meter or so of water left, a dramatic 35-40 meter (38-44 yards) decline in the water table. By 1997 it was completely dry. Where did all the water go? A favorite quip is that it was transported to Riyadh, in all those bright red GMC pick-up trucks which carried the watermelons grown throughout the Aflaj region. A quip, which contained more than a grain of truth. The lake's disappearance is a very visual reflection of the dramatic lowering of the water table due to agricultural use, as true in the Aflaj region of Saudi Arabia as it is in the Great Plains states of the United States.
It will be a significant, but doable challenge, to the younger generation of Saudi nationals, to restore this most unique spot on the map of the Arabian peninsula to its former condition.
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Saudi Arabian Trivia
Considerably more than half the area of Saudi Arabia is desert. Rub Al-Khali, known in English as the Great Sandy Desert and as the Empty Quarter, extends over much of the southeast and beyond the southern frontier. Partially unexplored, Rub Al-Khali has an estimated area of about 650,000 sq km (about 250,000 sq miles). For more information about the Empty Quarter and a wonderful multimedia experience visit • National Geographic Sights and Sounds of the Empty Quarter.