Laguna Colorada

For the lake named Pukaqucha or Laguna Colorada in the Puno Region, Peru, see Pukaqucha (Puno).

Laguna Colorada (Red Lagoon) is a shallow salt lake in the southwest of the altiplano of Bolivia, within Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve and close to the border with Chile, notable for the reddish color of its waters.

Laguna Colorada
Andean Flamingos
Laguna Colorada Show map of Bolivia Laguna Colorada Show map of South America
Location	Potosí, Bolivia
Coordinates	22°11′55″S 67°46′52″W
Type	salt lake[1]
Primary inflows	Rio Sulor[2]
Basin countries	Bolivia
Max. length	10.7 km (6.6 mi)
Max. width	9.6 km (6.0 mi)
Surface area	60 km2 (23 sq mi)
Average depth	0.35 m (1 ft 2 in)
Max. depth	1.5 m (4 ft 11 in)
Shore length1	35 km (22 mi)
Surface elevation	4,278 m (14,035 ft)
Islands	numerous, sometimes huge borax deposit islands[1]
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Los Lípez
Designated	27 June 1990
Reference no.	489[3]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Contents

The lake contains borax islands, whose white color contrasts with the reddish color of its waters, which is caused by red sediments and pigmentation of some algae.^[4]

Wide view of Laguna Colorada, showing the lake's red waters and islands made of borax.

Geography

Laguna Colorada is part of the Los Lípez (formerly Laguna Colorada) Ramsar wetland. It was listed as a "Ramsar Wetland of International Importance" in 1990. On, July 13, 2009, the site was expanded from 513.18 to 14,277.17 km² (5,512.45 sq mi) to include the surrounding high Andean endorheic, hypersaline and brackish lakes and associated wetlands (known as bofedales).^[5]

Fauna

James's flamingos abound in the area.^[4] It is also possible to find Andean and Chilean flamingos, but in lesser quantities.

A group of flamingoes in Laguna Colorada

See also

Llama dam and her cria at Laguna Colorada.

• Laguna Verde, a nearby salt lake notable for its green coloration
• Laguna Blanca, a nearby salt lake notable for its white coloration
• Mount Nelly