Lake Engure

Lake Engure
Engures ezers (Latvian)
Eastern coast of Lake Engure
Location of Lake Engure in Latvia
Location of Lake Engure in Latvia
Lake Engure
LocationTalsi district
Coordinates57°16′N 23°06′E / 57.267°N 23.100°E / 57.267; 23.100
Primary outflowsMersraga channel
Catchment area644 km2 (249 sq mi)
Basin countriesLatvia
Max. length17.9 km (11.1 mi)
Max. width4.4 km (2.7 mi)
Surface area40.46 km2 (15.62 sq mi)
Average depth0.4 m (1 ft 4 in)
Max. depth2.1 m (6 ft 11 in)
Water volume0.0168 km3 (13,600 acre⋅ft)
Surface elevation3.2 m (10 ft)
Islands9 (largest: Liela sala, Apalrova, Kazrova)
SettlementsMērsrags
Designated25 July 1995
Reference no.738[1]

Lake Engure is a lake in the western part of Latvia, in the Talsi District. It is the third largest lake in the country after Lake Lubāns and Lake Rāzna.

Lake Engure is an ancient sea lagoon, divided from the sea by a 1.5 - 2.5 km wide sand bar with dunes. Its outflow is the artificial Mersraga channel, dug in 1842. It is eutrophic, mostly overgrown with reeds, and contains 16 species of fish.

The whole lake and its vicinity have been included in the Lake Engure Nature Park[2] since 1999, although the first natural reserve was established here in 1957. It contains a floating base for ornithologists.[3] The lake was included in Ramsar list of wetlands of international importance in 1995.

References

  1. ^ "Lake Engure". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ ""Engures ezers" Nature Park". Archived from the original on 1 May 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  3. ^ BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Engure lake. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/09/2021.

External links

  • (in Latvian) Nature Conservation Plan for Nature Park "Lake Engure"
  • (in Latvian) www.ezeri.lv database


Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lake_Engure&oldid=1158184851"