Wiñaymarka Lake

Wiñaymarka qucha ( Quechua, Spanish: Lago Huiñaymarca ) is the name for the southern part of Lake Titicaca in Bolivia and Peru.

Location

The Wiñaymarka qucha is connected to the northern part of Lake Titicaca on a 800 m wide waterway, the Strait of Tiquina.

It is bordered to the west by the Peruvian region of Puno, on the north by the Bolivian province of Manco Kapac, in the north- east by the province Omasuyos, on the east by the province of Los Andes and on the south by the province Ingavi. Conspicuous landmarks are the island Suriqui and Taraco Peninsula.

Lake level fluctuations

The lake level of Wiñaymarka Lake was subject to strong fluctuations repeatedly in historical times, at times he was up to 18 meters below the present water level. Since this part of Lake Titicaca is deeper than 20 meters in only a few places today, this means that the Wiñaymarka Lake was almost completely dried up at those times. He was then only about 15 km long lake basins, one of which was at most connected across the street from Tiquina with the rest of the lake. From studies of Chiripa culture can be concluded that low water levels of the Wiñaymarka Lake for the period 1000-800 BCE, 450-250 BCE, 100 to 300 AD, and from 1200 to 1350 n. AD can be accepted.

Colonization

Larger towns on Wiñaymarka Lake are on the Peruvian side Yunguyo and Zepita, on the Bolivian side Huarina, Puerto Pérez, Puerto Guaqui and Desaguadero.