Lake Conococha

Lake Conococha[1][2][3] (possibly from Quechua quñuq,[4] qunuq[5] warm, lukewarm, qucha lake,[6] "warm lake") is a South American lake located in the Andes mountains of northwestern Peru. It is located in the region of Ancash near the junction of the roads going from Callejón de Huaylas to Chiquián.[1]

Lake Conococha
Lake Conococha with Mount Caullaraju in the background.
LocationAncash, Peru
Coordinates10°07′40″S 77°17′02″W
Primary inflowsSmall streams from Cordillera Blanca and Cordillera Negra mountain ranges.
Primary outflowsSanta River
Basin countriesPeru
Surface area1.976 km2 (0.763 sq mi)
Surface elevation4,020 metres (13,189 ft)

Geography
Conococha
Climate chart (explanation)
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation totals in mm
Source: Climate-Data.org

Lake Conococha has an elevation of 4,020 metres (13,189 ft) above sea level[2] and an extension of 1.976 square kilometres (0.763 sq mi).[3] It is located at the headwaters of the Santa River which runs in a northwest direction from the lake.[1][2]

According to the Köppen climate classification, the area presents a tundra climate (ET); with a mean annual temperature of 4.7 °C and an average annual rainfall of 543 mm.[7]

The village of Conococha is located on the western shore of the lake, where the roads from Lima and Pativilca to Huaraz and Chiquián meet.[1][2]

Ecology

Flora

Aquatic vegetation on the shores is represented by reeds of Scirpus spp. and aquatic herbs like watercress, Elodea potamogeton and Myriophyllum sp. While the surrounding meadows include plants of genera Carex and Calamagrostis.[3]

Fauna

The lake is home to a frog species (Telmatobius mayoloi) discovered in 1996 and endemic of the Santa River basin.[8]

Environmental issues

Lake Conococha is undergoing a process of eutrophication (overpopulation of plants and algae due to pollution), being the main reasons: livestock raising, blackwater from the surrounding villages, and disposal of solid waste on the lake shores.[3]

gollark: Well, someone might sell them, otherwise no.
gollark: Or is.
gollark: Truly this will be a masterpiece of architecture.
gollark: What was?
gollark: To be fair, lots of those are probably just about potatoes-the-fruit.

See also

References
  1. Peru 1:100 000, Chiquián (21-i). IGN (Instituto Geográfico Nacional - Perú).
  2. Alpenvereinskarte 0/3b. Cordillera Blanca Süd (Peru). 1:100 000. Oesterreichischer Alpenverein. 2005. ISBN 3-937530-05-3.
  3. Diaz, Ana; Sotomayor, Lenin (2013). Evaluación de la Eutrofización de la Laguna Conococha - Ancash (Thesis) (in Spanish). Universidad Nacional Santiago Antunez de Mayolo.
  4. Leonel Alexander Menacho López, Yachakuqkunapa Shimi Qullqa, Anqash Qhichwa Shimichaw (Ministerio de Educación), Wordbook Ancash Quechua-Spanish: Quñuq. - Caliente.
  5. Rodolfo Cerrón-Palomino, El Franciscano Ráez y la unificación del quechua, p. 226
  6. Teofilo Laime Ajacopa, Diccionario Bilingüe Iskay simipi yuyayk'ancha, La Paz, 2007 (Quechua-Spanish dictionary)
  7. "Climate: Conococha - Climate graph, Temperature graph, Climate table - Climate-Data.org". en.climate-data.org. Retrieved 2016-07-16.
  8. Salas, Antonio; Sinsch, Ulrich (1996). "Two new Telmatobius species (Leptodactylidae, Telmatobiinae) of Ancash, Peru". Alytes. 14 (1): 1–26.
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