Partner Living Lakes
Centro de Zoologíca Aplicada Argentina
University Córdoba
Partner Lake since
2000
Origin
tectonic
Age
2 million years
national protection status
Ramsar site (since 2002)
Size
1,960 sq. km [km²] to 5,770 sq. km [km²]
largest lake in Argentina, fifth largest drainless lake world-wide
Length, width
30 - 100 km, 76 - 140 km
Water volume
150 million of cubic m [m³] to 2,390 billion of cubic m [m³]
Maximum depth
11 m
Sea level
62 - 71 m
Catchment area
37,570 sq. km [km²]
In-flows
3
Largest in-flow
Dulce River
Out-flows
none
Salt content
29 - 275 g/l, corresponding to the water level
Precipitation per year
approx. 700 mm
Mean air temperature
18 - 19 °C
Location
Argentina
Vegetation
forest, savannah, pastures, fields, salt-marsh
Nesting birds
50,000 pairs of Chileflamingo
(in the 1970s, approx. 10 % of world population)
through 300,000 pairs of brown-hooded gull (Larus maculipennis)
Resting birds
500,000 Wilson´s phalarope (1970s)
20,000 American golden plover (Pluvialis dominica)
Biggest problems
withdrawal of water at the inflows, drying-out of the lagoon, decrease of the rain amounts and increasing natural evaporation, entry of pollution from settlement and industry