Mar Chiquita (Córdoba)

Largest lake in Argentina's second largest lake in South America real

The Laguna Mar Chiquita ( also de Mar Ansenuza ) is the geographically largest lake in Argentina and the second largest lake in South America after Lake Titicaca. He is also the fifth largest endorheic lake in the world.

Location

The lake is located in the northeast of the province of Córdoba in the central part of the country, but extends to the provinces of Santiago del Estero and Santa Fe into it. On most cards, for example, on the visible map in this article, the lake is, however, registered in the dimensions that he had about 1950, when it comprised only about 2,000 square kilometers.

Geographical

The lake is fed by three major rivers (Río Dulce, Río Suquía and Río Xanaes ), but itself has no outlet. This means that its expansion is constantly changing, depending on how high the rainfall fails. The area covered by surface water varies so extreme, depending on rainfall between 2,000 and 10,000 square kilometers (highest 1958), today the area is estimated at about 5,770 square kilometers. In the 1970s, the lake expanded greatly from (peaked in 1977 with 8 m above normal ) and flooded very large areas in the north and east as well as a section of the park on the south bank major seaside resort Miramar. Since the 1990s, he pulls back slightly.

The depth of the lake is, however, because of the flat topography of the surrounding area only at a maximum of 19 meters, even at low water only 12 meters.

In particular, in the northern half of the lake there are numerous islands, which are usually only very shallow and are often flooded.

Population

The area around the lake is sparsely populated because the area change of the lake is a huge challenge for humans, especially for agriculture. There are only two places on the coast, Miramar and Playa Grande. The largest resort in the region, Morteros located five kilometers east of the east coast of the lake.

Tourism

The lake is a major holiday and spa, as the water is salty and has a high content of minerals that help against many diseases. Depending on the water level also changes the salinity of 25-290 g / l, but today it is about 80 g / l and thus comparable to the salinity of normal sea.

In the time between 1940 and 1977 flooding, the lake mainly because of these properties was visited by international tourists destination. After the flood the tourist activity declined rapidly. Began with the reconstruction of the promenade is only since 1992, when the single Miramar beach resort, the lake experiencing another boom.

Reserves

The entire lake and part of the swampy estuary of the Río Dulce north of Mar Chiquita are nature reserves, the Reserve wears Bañados los del Río Dulce y Laguna Mar Chiquita, the name Refugio de Vida Silvestre, Depresión Salina de. In addition, the lake was declared Sitio Hemisférico, a label is awarded to areas that are of particular value for the fauna and flora of the Western Hemisphere. Especially many species of migratory birds make their way from Patagonia to the Arctic and vice versa stop at the lake. Permanently, the lake is especially known as a habitat for flamingos, who have no problems with the adaptation to the changing conditions ( varying salinity, expansion ).

In early 2005 established the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, a research center at the lake to explore the fluctuations of the sea surface and the influence of population and economic development in its catchment area. In particular, it is feared that the lake water could drain the expansion of irrigation activities on the Río Dulce inflow, with the result that the lake would dry up like the Aral Sea gradually.