Laguna Lachuá
Encyclopedia
Laguna Lachuá is a Karstic lake in Guatemala
. It is located in the middle of a national park covered with tropical rain forest, northwest of Cobán, near the border between the departments of Alta Verapaz
and El Quiché. The lake is near circular in shape and is probably a cenote
or doline
. The lake water has a slightly sulphurous smell, which may explain the origin of its name: "Lachuá" is derived from the Q'eqchi' words "li chu há" which means "the fetid water". The water contains a relatively high degree of calcite
and tree branches fallen into the lake are quickly covered with a white calcite layer.
The Peyan river forms the principal water inflow and the Lachua river its main outflow.
The park and adjacent buffer zone (known as "Eco-región Lachuá") is noted for its high biodiversity
. With 120 species of mammals (50% of mammal species found in Guatemala), 30-40 species of reptiles, 177 bird species (40% of bird species in Guatemala), it is a sanctuary for a varied fauna population. These include reptiles like Morelet's Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii), Orangebelly Swamp Snake (Tretanorhinus nigroluteus); and mammal
s, like the Jaguar (Panthera onca), Cougar (Puma concolor), Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), the White-lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari), Spotted Paca (Agouti paca), Red Brocket (Mazama americana), and Spix's Disk-winged Bat (Thyroptera tricolor), and various monkeys species including the endangered Guatemalan Black Howler (Alouatta pigra).
Waterbirds found in the park include
the Wood Stork (Mycteria americana),
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors),
Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis),
Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata),
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps),
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis),
Bare-throated Tiger-heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum),
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula),
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea),
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor),
Green Heron (Butorides virescens),
Sungrebe (Heliornis fulica),
Limpkin (Aramus guarauna),
and Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus),
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
. It is located in the middle of a national park covered with tropical rain forest, northwest of Cobán, near the border between the departments of Alta Verapaz
Alta Verapaz
Alta Verapaz is a department in the north central part of Guatemala. The capital and chief city of the department is Cobán. Verapaz is bordered to the north by El Petén, to the east by Izabal, to the south by Zacapa, El Progreso, and Baja Verapaz, and to the west by El Quiché.Also in Alta Verapaz...
and El Quiché. The lake is near circular in shape and is probably a cenote
Cenote
A cenote is a deep natural pit, or sinkhole, characteristic of Mexico and Central America, resulting from the collapse of limestone bedrock that exposes groundwater underneath...
or doline
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
. The lake water has a slightly sulphurous smell, which may explain the origin of its name: "Lachuá" is derived from the Q'eqchi' words "li chu há" which means "the fetid water". The water contains a relatively high degree of calcite
Calcite
Calcite is a carbonate mineral and the most stable polymorph of calcium carbonate . The other polymorphs are the minerals aragonite and vaterite. Aragonite will change to calcite at 380-470°C, and vaterite is even less stable.-Properties:...
and tree branches fallen into the lake are quickly covered with a white calcite layer.
The Peyan river forms the principal water inflow and the Lachua river its main outflow.
National Park
In 1976 an area of 145 km² around the lake (15.919074°N 90.673084°W) was designated a national park. Laguna Lachuá and its buffer zone were also declared a Ramsar site in 2006.The park and adjacent buffer zone (known as "Eco-región Lachuá") is noted for its high biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
. With 120 species of mammals (50% of mammal species found in Guatemala), 30-40 species of reptiles, 177 bird species (40% of bird species in Guatemala), it is a sanctuary for a varied fauna population. These include reptiles like Morelet's Crocodile (Crocodylus moreletii), Orangebelly Swamp Snake (Tretanorhinus nigroluteus); and mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
s, like the Jaguar (Panthera onca), Cougar (Puma concolor), Baird's tapir (Tapirus bairdii), the White-lipped Peccary (Tayassu pecari), Spotted Paca (Agouti paca), Red Brocket (Mazama americana), and Spix's Disk-winged Bat (Thyroptera tricolor), and various monkeys species including the endangered Guatemalan Black Howler (Alouatta pigra).
Waterbirds found in the park include
the Wood Stork (Mycteria americana),
Blue-winged Teal (Anas discors),
Black-bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis),
Muscovy Duck (Cairina moschata),
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps),
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis),
Bare-throated Tiger-heron (Tigrisoma mexicanum),
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula),
Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea),
Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor),
Green Heron (Butorides virescens),
Sungrebe (Heliornis fulica),
Limpkin (Aramus guarauna),
and Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus),