Lake Managua

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Lake Managua Lago de Managua Lago Xolotlán
From space (January 1986). North is to the left
Coordinates	12°20′N 86°25′W / 12.333°N 86.417°W / 12.333; -86.417Coordinates: 12°20′N 86°25′W / 12.333°N 86.417°W / 12.333; -86.417
Basin  countries	Nicaragua
Max. length	65 km
Max. width	25 km
Surface area	1,024 km²
Average depth	9.5 m
Max. depth	20 m
Surface  elevation	39 m
Settlements	Managua

Lake Managua (also known as Lake Xolotlán) (located at 12°20′N 86°25′W / 12.333°N 86.417°W / 12.333; -86.417) is a lake in Nicaragua. The Spanish name is Lago de Managua or Lago Xolotlán. At 1,042 km², it is approximately 65 kilometres (40 miles) long and 25 kilometres (15 miles) wide. Similarly to the name of Lake Nicaragua, its name was coined by the Spanish conquerors from "Mangue" (their name for the Mánkeme tribes) and agua ("water"). The city of Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, lies on its southwestern shore.

The lake has been severely polluted, in part by Kodak dumping mercury into the lake in the 1950s, but mostly by decades of sewage being dumped into the lake. Despite the pollution, some of the people of Managua still live along the lake's shores and eat the fish.

It rose 3 metres (10 ft) in five days during Hurricane Mitch in 1998, destroying the homes of many who lived on its edge.

It is also joined by the Tipitapa River to another lake, Lake Nicaragua; however, owing to the extreme pollution, the Bull sharks of Lake Nicaragua cannot migrate to Lake Managua^{[citation needed]}. In 2007 the "malecón" area was dredged and the sediment hauled off on barges. A strong odor which permeated the area from the sediment disappeared. A stone rip-rap and concrete wharf was constructed and a sight seeing boat called "La Novia de Xolotlán" makes hour-long lake tours when there are sufficient tourists.

Gallery

from Tipitapa, circa 2003

from Tipitapa, circa 2003. Volcanos Momotombo and Momotombito are visible in the background

Volcano Momotombo

External links

• JPL NASA: PIA03365: Perspective View with Landsat Overlay, Lakes Managua (foreground) and Nicaragua (background)
• http://www.epn.com.ni/Puerto-Salvador-Allende.aspx#

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