Lake Colhué Huapi
| Lake Colhué Huapi | |
|---|---|
| Lago Colhué Huapi | |
The lake at full water in the past | |
| Location | Valley of Sarmiento, Patagonian Andes, Argentine Patagonia, South America |
| Coordinates | 45°30′S 68°45′W / 45.500°S 68.750°W |
| Etymology | Mapuche language: Colhué means "red or reddish place" and Huapi means "island" |
| Part of | Now endorheic, exceptionally by the Chico River |
| Primary inflows | Senguerr River |
| Primary outflows | Chico River (Lower Chubut) (exceptional) |
| Max. length | 51.2 kilometres (31.8 mi) |
| Max. width | 24.8 kilometres (15.4 mi) |
| Surface area | 810 square kilometres (310 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 2 metres (6.6 ft) |
| Max. depth | 5.5 metres (18 ft) |
| Water volume | 1,620 cubic hectometres (1,310,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Shore length1 | 220 kilometres (140 mi) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Colhué Huapi is an intermittent lake located in the central Patagonian region of the Argentine Republic, south of the province of Chubut, and together with Lake Musters forms the terminal phase of the current endorheic basin of the Senguerr River. Both lakes are located in the Sarmiento Basin.
In March 2017 the lake was almost completely dry, mainly due to the artificial diversion of water from the Senguerr River and, to a lesser extent, to the drought that has been raging since 2000. It lies at an altitude of 310 m a.s.l. and the greatest width is 35 to 40 km from northwest to southeast.
Despite its large surface area when full, the lake is considered by many to be a giant lagoon because of its shallow depth. In the last 30 years the lake and the whole area around it have been experiencing a period of severe drought. This is a product of evaporation due to natural causes and undoubtedly human action was a factor that contributed to the watercourse disappearing faster. As the lake suffers the absence of liquid due to the great droughts, it leaves its bottom uncovered; then the winds form dunes that further erode the environment. As a major consequence this wind lashes the entire surrounding rural area and distant points such as the metropolitan area of Comodoro Rivadavia on the Argentine Sea.
The lake remains dry most of the year, with the exception of the few wetter months, which together with improvements in water abstraction policies means that the Falso Senguer drains part of its flow into the lake. This causes the fields near the lake to see a small lake intermittently until the summer season.