Moeris, Lake

Moeris, Lake

Extinct lake, northern Egypt. It once occupied the Al-Fayyum depression, now the site of the much smaller Lake Qarun. Its waters began falling in Paleolithic times as a result of silt accumulation in the channel that flowed from the Nile River. During the Middle Kingdom (c. 2040–1786 BC), dredging renewed access to the Nile's waters. Land-reclamation projects in the 3rd century BC drained the lake, opening 450 sq mi (1,200 sq km) of alluvial soil that was irrigated by canals. The region declined after the first two centuries of Roman rule.