Lake Tota
{{Short description|Largest lake in Colombia}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name = Lake Tota
| image = Laguna de Tota.jpg
| caption = Satellite view of Lake Tota
| pushpin_map = Colombia Boyacá Deparment physical#Colombia
| image_bathymetry =
| caption_bathymetry =
| location = Boyacá
| coords = {{coord|5|32|24|N|72|55|12|W|type:waterbody_region:CO|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| type =
| inflow =
| outflow =
| catchment =
| basin_countries = Colombia
| length = {{convert|12|km|abbr=on}}
| width = {{convert|7.2|km|abbr=on}}
| area = {{convert|55|km2|abbr=on}}
| depth =
| max-depth = {{convert|62|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| volume =
| residence_time =
| shore =
| elevation = {{convert|3015|m|abbr=on}}
| islands = San Pedro, Santo Domingo, La Custodia, Santa Helena, Cerro Chico
| cities = Aquitania, Cuítiva, Iza, Tota
}}
Lake Tota ({{langx|es|Lago de Tota}}) is the largest lake in Colombia, located in the east of Boyacá department, inside the Sugamuxi Province{{ref|lake}}, it is the source of the Upia River which flows into the Orinoco River basin.
The major town on the lake is Aquitania, located on its eastern side. Other nearby villages include Tota, Iza and Cuítiva.
Lake Tota was an important religious center for the Muisca culture. The name Tota comes from the Chibcha language of the Muisca and according to linguist Mariana Escribano its main name refers to "Astronomic Observatory", relating to its sacred uses for that culture. There are legends which relate to the way the lake was formed by the hands of ancient ancestors.
The area around Lake Tota is one of the major onion producing regions of Colombia. The western shore of the lake is a popular tourist destination for Colombians.
The average water temperature of 13 °C allowed for the introduction of rainbow trout (Onchorynchus mykiss) which created a valuable wild fishery (a mounted specimen in Restaurante Lucho, Aquitania, reportedly early in the 1990s, weighed 7 kg) and cage culture aquaculture, but predation on native fish species as led to the probable extinction of the pez graso or grease fish (Rhizosomichthys totae) believed native to only this 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.[http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/sitefactsheet.php?id=19137 Lake Tota] - Bird Life International - accessed 02-05-2016
Etymology
In the Chibcha language of the Muisca people, Tota means "Farmfields of the river".{{in lang|es}} [http://www.excelsio.net/2011/11/sabe-el-origen-del-nombre-de-su.html Etymology Tota] - Excelsio.net
Geography
Lake Tota consists of an area of {{convert|55.1|km2|mi2}} with a length of 11.8 kilometers, a width of 6.2 kilometers and a depth of 58 meters being the largest natural lake in Colombia.
Climate
{{Weather box|width=auto
|metric first=y
|single line=y
|collapsed = Y
|location = Lake Tota (Tunel El), elevation {{convert|3000|m|ft|abbr=on}}, (1981–2010)
|Jan high C = 16.9
|Feb high C = 16.8
|Mar high C = 17.0
|Apr high C = 16.3
|May high C = 15.8
|Jun high C = 14.9
|Jul high C = 14.5
|Aug high C = 14.5
|Sep high C = 15.2
|Oct high C = 15.7
|Nov high C = 16.1
|Dec high C = 16.6
| year high C = 15.8
|Jan mean C = 11.6
|Feb mean C = 11.7
|Mar mean C = 11.8
|Apr mean C = 11.8
|May mean C = 11.8
|Jun mean C = 11.4
|Jul mean C = 10.9
|Aug mean C = 10.9
|Sep mean C = 11.2
|Oct mean C = 11.4
|Nov mean C = 11.6
|Dec mean C = 11.8
| year mean C = 11.5
|Jan low C = 6.8
|Feb low C = 7.3
|Mar low C = 7.6
|Apr low C = 8.2
|May low C = 8.5
|Jun low C = 8.2
|Jul low C = 7.7
|Aug low C = 7.7
|Sep low C = 7.5
|Oct low C = 7.6
|Nov low C = 7.9
|Dec low C = 7.4
| year low C = 7.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 17.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 30.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 57.2
|Apr precipitation mm = 95.7
|May precipitation mm = 87.8
|Jun precipitation mm = 70.1
|Jul precipitation mm = 77.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 58.8
|Sep precipitation mm = 62.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 87.2
|Nov precipitation mm = 81.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 23.9
|year precipitation mm = 749.9
| Jan precipitation days = 4
| Feb precipitation days = 6
| Mar precipitation days = 11
| Apr precipitation days = 15
| May precipitation days = 18
| Jun precipitation days = 18
| Jul precipitation days = 20
| Aug precipitation days = 18
| Sep precipitation days = 16
| Oct precipitation days = 16
| Nov precipitation days = 14
| Dec precipitation days = 8
| year precipitation days = 159
| Jan humidity = 80
| Feb humidity = 81
| Mar humidity = 82
| Apr humidity = 85
| May humidity = 85
| Jun humidity = 85
| Jul humidity = 85
| Aug humidity = 85
| Sep humidity = 84
| Oct humidity = 85
| Nov humidity = 85
| Dec humidity = 82
| year humidity = 84
|Jan sun = 241.8
|Feb sun = 183.5
|Mar sun = 167.4
|Apr sun = 132.0
|May sun = 139.5
|Jun sun = 129.0
|Jul sun = 139.5
|Aug sun = 130.2
|Sep sun = 132.0
|Oct sun = 145.7
|Nov sun = 156.0
|Dec sun = 213.9
|year sun =
|Jand sun = 7.8
|Febd sun = 6.5
|Mard sun = 5.4
|Aprd sun = 4.4
|Mayd sun = 4.5
|Jund sun = 4.3
|Juld sun = 4.5
|Augd sun = 4.2
|Sepd sun = 4.4
|Octd sun = 4.7
|Novd sun = 5.2
|Decd sun = 6.9
|yeard sun =
|source 1 = Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales{{cite web
|url=http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios+Climatol%C3%B3gicos++1981+-+2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815025712/http://www.ideam.gov.co/documents/21021/553571/Promedios%2BClimatol%C3%B3gicos%2B%2B1981%2B-%2B2010.xlsx/f28d0b07-1208-4a46-8ccf-bddd70fb4128
|archive-date=15 August 2016
|title=Promedios Climatológicos 1981–2010
|publisher=Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales
|language=es
|access-date=3 June 2024
|url-status=dead}}
}}
Gallery
File:TotaLagoon.jpg|View of Lake Tota
File:Lago de Tota 04.JPG|Lake Tota
File:Tota Lake 8.JPG|Lake Tota
File:Tota.jpg|Lake Tota
File:Paisaje Tota.jpg|Lake Tota landscape
File:Tota Lake Boyacá.jpg|Playa Blanca
{{Clear}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category|Lake Tota}}
- {{in lang|es}} [http://www.visitsugamuxi.com/lake-tota.html Lake Tota in the Province of Sugamuxi - videos and more information] - accessed 02-05-2016
{{Treasures of Colombia}}
{{Muisca navbox|Mythology and religion}}
{{Recreational dive sites in Colombia}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tota, Lake}}
Category:Geography of Boyacá Department