Mahalona Lake Nature Park

 
Matano Lake Forest Complex, Mahalona and Towuti which used to be a government administrative area of South Sulawesi Province Luwu originally designated as forest area based on the Decree of the Minister of Agriculture. 45 / Kpts/Um/1/1978 January 25, 1978 with protection function. In 1978 a survey conducted by the Director General of Forestry to assess its potential. On April 17, 1979, the Director General of Forestry suggested this region to be designated as an area of Nature Park to the Minister of Agriculture, through its letter No.. 1243/Dj/I/1979. Noting the letter of the Director General of Forestry, the Ministry of Agriculture and then designate the area of Lake Matano, Mahalona and Towuti become Nature Park conservation area with the name of the Natural Park of Lake Matano, Mahalona Lake Nature Park, and Lake Nature Park Towuti through Decree No. 274/Kpts/Um/4/1979 April 24, 1979.
This area is representative tectonic lake ecosystems. Mahalona Lake is one of the 3 clusters in complex Malili lake. Panorama of nature and cleanliness of the lake water Mahalona is one of the attractions to carry out tourist activities. The flow of water and the waves calm enough. Estuary Crocodile Crocodylus porosus and Soa-soa Hydrosaurus amboinensis and 8 species of freshwater fish endemic to the residents of Lake Mahalona. Environmental conditions of the lake is still very natural, because it is not adjacent to residential areas and rarely visited by humans. Tectonic lake is beautiful. Formed from the folds of the hills, or expected form of a widening river channels between Lake Matano and Lake Towuti. Depths up to 73 m at elevations above 300 m above sea level. Beautiful natural scenery throughout the day can be enjoyed on this lake. Currents and waves calm waters make it very safe to travel tirta. The source water comes from 3 rivers / creeks, one of them is the flow of river water from Lake Matano. In this lake, living naturally eight endemic fish species of Sulawesi. This lake is the natural habitat of Crocodylus porosus, Hydrosaurus amboinensis, and Enhydris matannensis. Various species of birds can be found in this area while foraging
In general the conservation area Mahalona Lake Nature Park consists of lake waters. Lake water source comes from several springs and cacthment area around the lake that enter the lake through 3 rivers and creeks, one of them is the flow of river water from Lake Matano addition, there is the river that contact with TWA TWA Mahalona Lake Lake Towuti. .
Tectonic lake with lake depth reached 73 m. The maximum lake area of ± 2337.5 ha (2440 ha in the Indonesian Ecology Series, Volume 6: The Ecology of Sulawesi (Whitten et al, 2002)) at an elevation of ± 300 m above sea level. Lake water source comes from several springs and the surrounding catchment area into the lake through 3 rivers / creeks. One of them is the river flow that comes from Lake Matano. Crocodile Crocodylus porosus and Soa-soa Hydrosaurus amboinensis and 8 species of freshwater fish endemic to the residents of Lake Mahalona that can easily be found. Enhydris matannensis is a freshwater snake species that live in this lake. Species of bird that can easily be found, among others, of Little Snake Anhinga melanogaster who dived into the lake to fish and then drying their feathers in treetops. On the river with thick trees on the side of the river, was described Babyrousa babirussa and endemic birds of the family Bucerotidae Sulawesi. In this lake area and four lakes in the vicinity (Matano, Towuti, Wawontoa and Taparan Masapi) never consumed fish species introduced carp Cyprinus carpio and Sepat Trichogaster trichopterus originating from Central Asia in the early 20th century (Whitten et al, 2002).
Mahalona Lake Nature Park can be reached by road from Makassar. The distance of Makassar to the region Mahalona Lake Nature Park as a whole is ± 580 km, with a path Makassar - Pare Pare - Palopo - Masamba - sorowako - TWA. Lake Mahalona Or Makassar - Pare Pare - Palopo - Masamba - wowondula - timampu - TWA. D. Mahalona. Transportation by air can be also be conducted from the airport to the airport in hasanuddin sultan's sorowako pt. inco with travel time about 1 hour. Conditions through which the road is relatively good (provincial roads, district roads and roads PT. INCO). Travel time ranges from 11 to 12 hours. Also Mahalona Lake Nature Park can be reached by using the Aircraft to the city Masamba (Capital of North Luwu) and then continued with ground vehicles to the village Timampu, further from the village of Timampu use a motor boat measuring 24 Pk through Lake Towuti with travel time ± 1 hr.