Laguna Colorada

Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon) is a shallow salt lake in the southwest of the altiplano of Bolivia, within Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve and close to the border with Chile.

For the lake named Pukaqucha or Laguna Colorada in the Puno Region, Peru, see Pukaqucha (Puno).
Laguna Colorada
Andean Flamingos
Location of Laguna Colorada in Bolivia.
Location of Laguna Colorada in Bolivia.
Laguna Colorada
Location of Laguna Colorada in Bolivia.
Location of Laguna Colorada in Bolivia.
Laguna Colorada
LocationPotosí, Bolivia
Coordinates22°11′55″S 67°46′52″W
Typesalt lake[1]
Primary inflowsRio Sulor[2]
Basin countriesBolivia
Max. length10.7 km (6.6 mi)
Max. width9.6 km (6.0 mi)
Surface area60 km2 (23 sq mi)
Average depth0.35 m (1 ft 2 in)
Max. depth1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Shore length135 km (22 mi)
Surface elevation4,278 m (14,035 ft)
Islandsnumerous, sometimes huge borax deposit islands[1]
Official nameLos Lípez
Designated27 June 1990
Reference no.489[3]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Contents

The lake contains borax islands, whose white color contrasts with the reddish color of its waters, which is caused by red sediments and pigmentation of some algae.[4]

Geography

Laguna Colorada is part of the Los Lípez (formerly Laguna Colorada) Ramsar wetland. It was listed as a "Ramsar Wetland of International Importance" in 1990. On, July 13, 2009, the site was expanded from 513.18 to 14,277.17 km2 (5,512.45 sq mi) to include the surrounding high Andean endorheic, hypersaline and brackish lakes and associated wetlands (known as bofedales).[5]

Fauna

James's flamingos abound in the area.[4] It is also possible to find Andean and Chilean flamingos, but in lesser quantities.

A group of flamingoes in Laguna Colorada

See also
Llama dam and her cria at Laguna Colorada.

References
  1. Amusing Planet website, at Laguna Colorada: The Red Lagoon of Bolivia .
  2. Hurlbert, Stuart H. (6 Dec 2012). Saline Lakes V: Proceedings of the Vth International Symposium on Inland Saline Lakes. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 264. ISBN 9789401120760.
  3. "Los Lípez". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  4. "Laguna Colorada". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  5. The Annotated Ramsar List: Bolivia
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