Lake Otún
Encyclopedia
Lake Otún is a small lake
in the Nevados National Park
, in the Risaralda
department of Colombia
. It located at an altitude of 3,900 meters and has an area of 1.5 square kilometres. The lake is of glacial origin and is fed by meltwaters from the Nevado Santa Isabel
. Lake Otún is the source of the Otún River
, which supplies drinking water to the cities of Pereira
and Dosquebradas
.
Lake Otún is an important breeding ground for several threatened or endangered bird species, including the Colombian Torrent Duck
(Merganetta armata columbiana), the Colombian Ruddy Duck
(Oxyura jamaicensis andina), the Andean Speckled Teal
(Anas flavirostris andium) and the Andean Snipe
(Gallinago jamesoni).
Lake Otún contains a large population of rainbow trout
, introduced for recreational fishing and a major attraction for visitors to the lake.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the Nevados National Park
Los Nevados
Los Nevados National Natural Park is a national park located in the Cordillera Central of the Colombian Andes. The 5,300-meter high volcano Nevado del Ruiz is dominating Los Nevados. Out of the 55 protected areas in Colombia, Los Nevados National Natural Park was the third most visited in 2009,...
, in the Risaralda
Risaralda Department
Risaralda is a department of Colombia. It is located in the western central region of the country and part of the Paisa Region. Its capital is Pereira.It was divided from the department of Caldas in 1966...
department of Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
. It located at an altitude of 3,900 meters and has an area of 1.5 square kilometres. The lake is of glacial origin and is fed by meltwaters from the Nevado Santa Isabel
Santa Isabel (volcano)
Santa Isabel is a shield volcano located in Tolima Department, Colombia, southwest of Nevado del Ruiz volcano....
. Lake Otún is the source of the Otún River
Otún River
The Otún River is a river in the Risaralda department of Colombia. Its source is Lake Otún, fed by meltwater from Nevado Santa Isabel, and its outlet is the Cauca River...
, which supplies drinking water to the cities of Pereira
Pereira, Colombia
Pereira is the capital city of the Colombian department of Risaralda. It stands in the center of the western region of the country, located in a small valley that descends from a part of the western Andes mountain chain. Its strategic location in the coffee producing area makes the city an urban...
and Dosquebradas
Dosquebradas
Dosquebradas is the second largest city and a municipality in the Risaralda Department, Colombia. , it had a population of approximately 200,000 inhabitants. The city is connected by the César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct to Pereira, the capital of the department....
.
Lake Otún is an important breeding ground for several threatened or endangered bird species, including the Colombian Torrent Duck
Torrent Duck
The Torrent Duck is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is the only member of the genus Merganetta. Today it is placed in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae after the "perching duck" assemblage where it was formerly assigned to was dissolved because it turned out to be...
(Merganetta armata columbiana), the Colombian Ruddy Duck
Ruddy Duck
The Ruddy Duck is a small stiff-tailed duck.Their breeding habitat is marshy lakes and ponds throughout much of North America, and in South America in the Andes. They nest in dense marsh vegetation near water. The female builds her nest out of grass, locating it in tall vegetation to hide it from...
(Oxyura jamaicensis andina), the Andean Speckled Teal
Speckled Teal
The Yellow-billed Teal 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 occurs in Argentina, the Falkland Islands, Chile, Peru, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Brazil...
(Anas flavirostris andium) and the Andean Snipe
Andean Snipe
The Andean Snipe, Gallinago jamesoni, is a small, stocky wader. It breeds in the Andes in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. It appears to be entirely sedentary, with no evidence of migration....
(Gallinago jamesoni).
Lake Otún contains a large population of rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
, introduced for recreational fishing and a major attraction for visitors to the lake.