La Cocha Lagoon (Spanish: Laguna de la Cocha) is a 39,000-hectare (96,000-acre) volcanic crater lake located within the Pasto Municipality in Nariño, Colombia.
| La Cocha Lagoon | |
|---|---|
.JPG) La Cocha, with La Corota Island, from an overlook stop | |
  La Cocha Lagoon | |
| Location | Nariño, Colombia |
| Coordinates | 01°06′00″N 77°09′07″W / 1.10000°N 77.15194°W |
| Type | Volcanic crater lake |
| Primary outflows | Guamués River, Putumayo River |
| Basin countries | Amazon basin |
| Surface area | 40.5 km2 (15.6 sq mi) |
| Surface elevation | 2,680 m (8,790 ft) |
| Islands | La Corota Island |
| Designated | 8 January 2001 |
| Reference no. | 1047[1] |
La Cocha Lagoon is Colombia's second largest inland body of water after Lake Tota in terms of surface area.
Wildlife
editLa Cocha Lagoon surrounds La Corota Island Flora Sanctuary which is home to mammals such as mountain tapir, northern pudu and spectacled bears, and bird species like grebes, golden peck duck, snipes, and andean ducks.[1]
Important plant species include frailejon, Schoenoplectus californicus, and Juncus effusus.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Laguna de la Cocha (El Encano), elevation 2,830 m (9,280 ft), (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 16.5 (61.7) |
16.6 (61.9) |
16.3 (61.3) |
16.3 (61.3) |
15.9 (60.6) |
14.8 (58.6) |
14.2 (57.6) |
14.2 (57.6) |
15.2 (59.4) |
16.5 (61.7) |
16.8 (62.2) |
16.8 (62.2) |
15.8 (60.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
12.1 (53.8) |
11.9 (53.4) |
11.3 (52.3) |
10.6 (51.1) |
10.5 (50.9) |
11.1 (52.0) |
11.8 (53.2) |
12.2 (54.0) |
12.3 (54.1) |
11.6 (52.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 8.4 (47.1) |
8.5 (47.3) |
8.6 (47.5) |
8.8 (47.8) |
8.9 (48.0) |
8.6 (47.5) |
7.8 (46.0) |
7.6 (45.7) |
7.3 (45.1) |
8.0 (46.4) |
8.5 (47.3) |
8.4 (47.1) |
8.3 (46.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 85.5 (3.37) |
89.3 (3.52) |
104.2 (4.10) |
142.1 (5.59) |
149.0 (5.87) |
145.6 (5.73) |
136.3 (5.37) |
104.2 (4.10) |
82.9 (3.26) |
100.5 (3.96) |
111.0 (4.37) |
98.1 (3.86) |
1,339.5 (52.74) |
| Average precipitation days | 21 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 23 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 274 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 85 | 86 | 86 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 86 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 99.2 | 76.2 | 65.1 | 60.0 | 62.0 | 63.0 | 65.1 | 68.2 | 72.0 | 89.9 | 93.0 | 102.3 | 916 |
| Mean daily sunshine hours | 3.2 | 2.7 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 2.5 |
| Source: Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales[2] | |||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ a b "Laguna de la Cocha". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 7 April 2018.
- ^ "Promedios Climatológicos 1981–2010" (in Spanish). Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2024.