According to one theory, the lake is man-made and was used for irrigation purposes in the pre-Urartian period. The lake was previously the source of the Geghadzor River which flows into the plain of Shirak. In the 17th-century, Catholicos Pilippos I ordered the river source closed and connected the lake to the Amberd River, a tributary of the Kasagh.
One theory posits that the lake was constructed by humans for irrigation during pre-Urartian times. The lake once provided water to the Geghadzor River, which eventually reached the Shirak plain. In the 17th century, Catholicos Pilippos I ordered the river's source sealed and connected it to the Amberd River, a tributary of the Kasagh.