Lake Managua ( es, Lago de Managua, ), also known as Lake Xolotlán (), is a

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 ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...

. At 1,042 km², it is approximately long and wide. Similarly to the name of

Lake Nicaragua Lake Nicaragua or Cocibolca or Granada ( es, Lago de Nicaragua, , or ) is a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. Of tectonic origin and with an area of , it is the largest lake in Central America, the 19th largest lake in the world (by area) and the t ...

, its other name comes from the

Nahuatl language Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have small ...

, possibly from the Spanish Tlaxcalan and Mexica allies or the Nawat Nicarao that were already there in today Rivas Department. The city of

Managua ) , settlement_type = Capital city , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Nicar ...

, the capital of Nicaragua, lies on its southwestern shore.

Islands

There are two uninhabited

lake island A lake island is any landmass within a lake. It is a type of inland island. Lake islands may form a lake archipelago. Formation Lake islands may form in numerous ways. They may occur through a build-up of sedimentation as shoals, and beco ...

s: * , a

volcanic island Geologically, a high island or volcanic island is an island of volcanic origin. The term can be used to distinguish such islands from low islands, which are formed from sedimentation or the uplifting of coral reefs (which have often formed ...

. There is another nearby volcano, on the mainland:

Momotombo Momotombo is a stratovolcano in Nicaragua, not far from the city of León. It stands on the shores of Lago de Managua. An eruption of the volcano in 1610 forced inhabitants of the Spanish city of León to relocate about west. The ruins of th ...

. * Isla Rosa, an islet

Floodings

The level of Lake Managua raises significantly during the periods of heavy rain. The highest water level was recorded during the flooding of 1933. The lake rose 3 metres (10 ft) in five days during

Hurricane Mitch Hurricane Mitch is the second-deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America in 1998, including approximately 7,000 in Honduras and 3,800 in Nicaragua due to cataclysmic flooding from the slow motion ...

in 1998, destroying the homes of many who lived on its edge. An even higher flooding occurred in September/October 2010. Since then, the city has prohibited residential use of the most flood-prone areas, those with the elevation below 42.76 meters above sea level.

Pollution

Lake Managua has been described by some authors as "the most contaminated lake in Central America."Douglas Haynes, he Lake at the Bottom of the Bottom ''VQR'', Summer 2011 The lake has been severely polluted, mostly by decades of

sewage Sewage (or domestic sewage, domestic wastewater, municipal wastewater) is a type of wastewater that is produced by a community of people. It is typically transported through a sewer system. Sewage consists of wastewater discharged from reside ...

being dumped into the lake.Hazel Plunkett. ''Nicaragua: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture.'' Interlink Books, Dec 1, 2001. pg. 71 The city sewers have drained into the lake since 1927. It was only in 2009 that a modern wastewater treatment plant (built and operated by the British company Biwater) was opened in Managua, but even it treats only 40% of the city's wastewater. The lake today has no stable outlet, with only occasional floods to

through the

Tipitapa River The Tipitapa River (Río Tipitapa) is a short river in Nicaragua that connects Lake Managua to Lake Nicaragua. Its flow is seasonally variable and when Lake Managua, which is situated about ten meters higher than Lake Nicaragua,http://www.ecured.cu ...

. Pollutants are thus concentrated.Thorson, Thomas B.,
The Status of the Lake Nicaragua Shark: An Updated Appraisal
(1976). Investigations of the Ichthyofauna of Nicaraguan Lakes.Paper 41. Despite the pollution, some of the people of Managua still live along the lake's shores and eat the fish. In 2007 the 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 Riprap (in North American English), also known as rip rap, rip-rap, shot rock, rock armour (in British English) or rubble, is human-placed rock or other material used to protect shoreline structures against scour and water, wave, or ice erosion ...

and concrete wharf was constructed, and a sightseeing boat called ''La Novia de Xolotlán'' makes hour-long lake tours when there are sufficient tourists.

Wildlife

About 20 fish species still survive in Lake Managua. While joined to Lake Nicaragua, the

bull shark The bull shark (''Carcharhinus leucas''), also known as the Zambezi shark (informally zambi) in Africa and Lake Nicaragua shark in Nicaragua, is a species of requiem shark commonly found worldwide in warm, shallow waters along coasts and in ri ...

s of that lake cannot migrate to Lake Managua due to a waterfall on the

Gallery

File:LakeManagua_Tipitapa1.jpg, Lake view from

Tipitapa Tipitapa is a city and municipality in the Managua department of western Nicaragua. The area is located between Lake Managua and Lake Nicaragua. History Tipitapa began as a settlement of local tribes. The first settlers were the Chorotegas ...

(2003) File:LakeManagua_Tipitapa3.jpg, View from

(2003).

and Momotombito Volcanoes in the background File:Momotombo.jpg,

Volcano on the lakeshore

References

External links

JPL NASA: PIA03365: Perspective View with Landsat Overlay, Lakes Managua (foreground) and Nicaragua (background)
{{Authority control

Managua ) , settlement_type = Capital city , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Nicar ...

Managua Department