Lago de Oviedo

Lago de Oviedo
Laguna de Oviedo
Location Jaragua National Park, Pedernales Province
Coordinates 17°45′33″N 71°21′59″W / 17.75915°N 71.366501°W / 17.75915; -71.366501Coordinates: 17°45′33″N 71°21′59″W / 17.75915°N 71.366501°W / 17.75915; -71.366501
Type saltwater lake
Basin countries Dominican Republic

Lago de Oviedo, also known as Laguna de Oviedo, is a saltwater lake in Jaragua National Park, Pedernales Province, Dominican Republic. It is approximately 25 km2 in area, making it the second largest body of water in the Dominican Republic after Lake Enriquillo.

Although receiving freshwater from the Bahoruco Mountain Range, the lake is hypersaline due to sea water flowing into the lake through an underground system caused by a karstic depression. Salinity levels show seasonal changes due to precipitation, evaporation and the amount of freshwater input.

One of the most notable aspects of this lake is the greenish aspect of its water, caused by limestone sediments being dragged into the lake by the underground water flow.

Its unique flora and fauna are perhaps its most interesting feature; flamingos, Rhinoceros Iguana, mangroves, various species of endemic birds and several cays inside the lake are a common sighting.

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, September 04, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.