In Tibetan, Yamdrok means the upper pastureland and Tso means sea.

Yamdrok Tso is the largest freshwater lake in Tibet, situated 120 km south of Lhasa at the elevation of 4440 m a.s.l., with a catchment area of 6100 km2 and a surface of 658 km2, figures vary slightly according to different sources. Its turquoise colour delights everybody travelling between Lhasa and Shigatse.

The lake is almost a closed system; there is only a little natural runoff through a small tributary of the Yarlung-Tsangpo river, the inflow being balanced mainly by evaporation. The power plant is situated about 850 m below the lake at the Yarlung-Tsangpo river. Thus the plant can either produce net energy by draining the lake or, if the water is replenished in the pumping mode, it can shift base-load to peak-load. Both operation modes have given rise to environmental concerns, because the limnological characteristics of the lake and the river are very different so that pumping back river water is not a simple solution to all problems.

The Yamdrok-tso Lake is rich in hydroelectric power. The drop of the Lake exceeds 800 m. And the well-known Yamdrok-tso Power Station perches here.

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