List of lakes in Bolivia
Encyclopedia
The geography
and climate of Bolivia has led to the formation a wide variety of lakes, from salt saturated lakes in the Altiplano
to oxbow lakes
in the eastern lowlands. Many of Bolivias lakes are formed only seasonally during the austral summer and remains for the rest of the year as salt flats in the altiplano or swamp
s in the eastern lowlands.
. Many of the lakes in the altiplano show large fluctuations in area like Poopó Lake that has dried up several times through history. The salt flats of Coipasa and Uyuni have only very small surfaces where water can be observed through all year but are covered each year in summer by up to one meter of water.
Geography of Bolivia
The geography of Bolivia is unique among the nations of South America. Bolivia is one of two landlocked countries on the continent, and Bolivia is more rural than urban...
and climate of Bolivia has led to the formation a wide variety of lakes, from salt saturated lakes in the Altiplano
Altiplano
The Altiplano , in west-central South America, where the Andes are at their widest, is the most extensive area of high plateau on Earth outside of Tibet...
to oxbow lakes
Oxbow Lakes
"Oxbow Lakes" is a single by ambient house artist The Orb. It featured remixes from artists such as Carl Craig, Sabres of Paradise and A Guy Called Gerald. It also includes an acoustic version performed by the string sextet Instrumental which was produced by Darren Allison. It reached number...
in the eastern lowlands. Many of Bolivias lakes are formed only seasonally during the austral summer and remains for the rest of the year as salt flats in the altiplano or swamp
Swamp
A swamp is a wetland with some flooding of large areas of land by shallow bodies of water. A swamp generally has a large number of hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodical inundation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp...
s in the eastern lowlands.
Lakes in the Altiplano basin
All major lakes in the Altiplano belong to the same endorreic basin that when supplied with enough water ends at Salar de UyuniSalar de Uyuni
Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat at . It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, and is elevated above the mean sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes...
. Many of the lakes in the altiplano show large fluctuations in area like Poopó Lake that has dried up several times through history. The salt flats of Coipasa and Uyuni have only very small surfaces where water can be observed through all year but are covered each year in summer by up to one meter of water.
| Name | Area (km²) | Surface elevation | Max depth | Salinity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titicaca Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world... |
3,7903790 km² of the Titicaca lake's total 8.562 km² are inside Bolivian borders | 3,810 m.a.s.l. | 281 m | Brackish |
| Poopó Lake | 1,000 | 3,686 m.a.s.l. | Brackish to salt | |
| Salar de Coipasa | 2,218 | 3,657 m.a.s.l. | - | Saturated in salt |
| Salar de Uyuni Salar de Uyuni Salar de Uyuni is the world's largest salt flat at . It is located in the Potosí and Oruro departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes, and is elevated above the mean sea level. The Salar was formed as a result of transformations between several prehistoric lakes... |
10,582 | 3,663 m.a.s.l. | - | Saturated in salt |
| Uru Uru | 214 | 3,686 m.a.s.l. | 1.5 m | Brackish to salt |
Lakes in the lowlands
| Name | Area | Surface elevation | Max depth | Salinity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Huaytunas | 329.5 km² | 146 m.a.s.l. | - | Fresh |
| Rogaguado | 315 km² | 143 m.a.s.l. | - | Fresh |
| Rogagua | 155.5 km² | 164 m.a.s.l. | - | Fresh |
| Guachuna | 102.8 km² | 150 m.a.s.l. | - | Fresh |
| El Océano | 100 km² | - | - | Fresh |