Lake Tota
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Lake Tota | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Boyacá |
| Basin countries | Colombia |
| Surface area | 55 km² |
| Max. depth | 60 m |
| Settlements | Aquitania |
Lake Tota (Spanish: Laguna de Tota) is the largest lake in Colombia, located in the east of Boyacá department. It has an area of 55 km² and a depth of 60 meters.
The major town on the lake is Aquitania, located on its eastern side. Other nearby villages include Tota, Iza and Cuitiva. Lake Tota was an important religious center for the Muisca culture. It is now famous for its rainbow trout and opportunities for water sports. Although the introduction of rainbow trout has had valuable economic effects for the area, it led to the near-complete disappearance of native fish species from the lake.
Lake Tota is a breeding ground for several threatened or endangered bird species, including the Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis bogotensis), the Colombian Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis andina), the Bogotá Rail (Rallus semiplumbeus) and Apolinar's Wren (Cistothorus apolinari). The last confirmed sighting of the Colombian Grebe (Podiceps andinus), now considered to be extinct, was at Lake Tota.
The area around Lake Tota is one of the major onion producing regions of Colombia.
