Lake Otún (''Laguna del Otún'') is a small

lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...

in the Nevados National Park, in the Risaralda department of Colombia. It located at an altitude of 3,900 m and has an area of 1.5 square kilometres. The lake is of

glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betwe ...

origin and is fed by

meltwaters Meltwater is water released by the melting of snow or ice, including glacial ice, tabular icebergs and ice shelves over oceans. Meltwater is often found in the ablation zone of glaciers, where the rate of snow cover is reducing. Meltwater can b ...

of the

Nevado Santa Isabel Nevado (1813? – 1821) was a Mucuchies dog that was given to Simón Bolívar by the local people of Mucuchíes, Mérida, in the Venezuelan Andes. It was given as a kind of present shortly after the Battle of Niquitao during his triumphal A ...

. Lake Otún is the source of the Otún River, which supplies

drinking water Drinking water is water that is used in drink or food preparation; potable water is water that is safe to be used as drinking water. The amount of drinking water required to maintain good health varies, and depends on physical activity level, a ...

to the cities of Pereira and Dosquebradas. Lake Otún is an important breeding ground for several threatened or

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...

bird species, including the Colombian torrent duck (''Merganetta armata columbiana''), the Colombian ruddy duck (''Oxyura jamaicensis andina''), the

Andean teal The Andean teal (''Anas andium'') is a South American species of duck. Like other teals, it belongs to the diverse genus '' Anas''; more precisely it is one of the "true" teals of subgenus ''Nettion''. It is restricted to the Andean highlands o ...

(''Anas andium'') and the Andean snipe (''Gallinago jamesoni'').Section 34
Laguna del Otún – Descripción general y biodiversidad
Lake Otún contains a large population of rainbow trout, introduced for

recreational fishing Recreational fishing, also called sport fishing or game fishing, is fishing for leisure, exercise or competition. It can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is professional fishing for profit; or subsistence fishing, which is fishing fo ...

and a major attraction for visitors to the lake.

References

External links

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Photos of Lake Otún
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lake Otun Otun Geography of Risaralda Department Pereira, Colombia Ramsar sites in Colombia