Del Desierto Lake
| Del Desierto Lake | |
|---|---|
Del Desierto Lake, discovered in 1921 by the Chilean Vicente Ovando Vargas and baptized by Ismael Sepúlveda Rivas | |
| Location | Lago Argentino Department, Santa Cruz Province |
| Coordinates | 49°02′13″S 72°51′49″W / 49.03694°S 72.86361°W |
| Primary inflows | Diablo River |
| Primary outflows | Las Vueltas River |
| Basin countries | Argentina |
| Surface elevation | 506 metres (1,660 ft) |
Del Desierto Lake or Lake of the Desert (called Lago del Desierto in Argentina and Laguna del Desierto in Chile) is a natural lake located in the Lago Argentino Department, Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. Located near Monte Fitz Roy and the O'Higgins/San Martín Lake, Lago del Desierto was for many decades the subject of a territorial dispute between Argentina and Chile, escalating to a small firefight on 6 November 1965 when 40 to 90 members of the Argentine Gendarmerie fought against four Chilean Carabineros, of which a lieutenant was killed and a sergeant was injured. The dispute was resolved favourably for Argentina in 1994 by international arbitration.