Aluminé Lake facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aluminé Lake |
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| Lago Aluminé | |
Aluminé Lake in winter and a monkey puzzle tree.
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 Aluminé Lake
Location in Argentina
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| Location | Aluminé Department, Neuquén Province |
| Coordinates | 38°55′S 71°08′W / 38.917°S 71.133°W |
| Type | oligotrophic |
| Primary inflows | Lake Moquehue |
| Primary outflows | Aluminé River |
| Basin countries | Argentina |
| Max. length | 19 kilometres (12 mi) |
| Max. width | 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) |
| Surface area | 57 square kilometres (14,000 acres) |
| Average depth | 69.4 m (228 ft) |
| Max. depth | 165 m (541 ft) |
| Water volume | 3.956 cubic kilometres (3,207,000 acre⋅ft) |
| Shore length1 | 54.5 km (33.9 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 1,125 m (3,691 ft) |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
Aluminé Lake (which means Lago Aluminé in Spanish) is a big, deep lake nestled in the Andes mountains. You can find it in western Neuquén Province, Argentina, very close to the border with Chile. This beautiful lake gets its water from Lake Moquehue and then flows into the Aluminé River, which eventually makes its way all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. On the northern side of the lake, there's a popular town called Villa Pehuenia where many visitors come to enjoy the scenery.
Contents
Discovering Aluminé Lake's Nature
The western shores of Aluminé and Moquehue lakes are special. They are the northernmost part of Argentina that has a Valdivian temperate rain forest. This means you'll find lots of green forests, thick plants, and plenty of rain, especially in the southern hemisphere's winter. As you go north from Aluminé Lake, the weather gets drier, more like a Mediterranean climate.
The Unique Monkey-Puzzle Tree
One very special tree found here is the endangered monkey-puzzle tree. It's also known as Araucaria araucana or locally as "pehuen." This area is the southernmost place where these amazing trees grow naturally.
Lake Connections and Volcanoes
The Batea Mahuida volcano stands tall on the north shore of Aluminé Lake. It's about 1,948 metres (6,391 ft) high and gently slopes down towards the lake. Aluminé Lake is connected to Lake Moquehue by a narrow channel, which is only about 400 metres (1,300 ft) long. Lake Moquehue itself is about 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) long and 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) wide.
Protecting the Environment
Unlike many other lakes in Argentina's lake district, the area around Lake Aluminé is not part of a national park. Sadly, this has led to some trees being cut down and wildfires. These events have damaged much of the natural forest cover near the lake.
Fun Activities at Aluminé Lake
Lake Aluminé is becoming a popular spot for tourists. There are many fun things to do near its shores.
Outdoor Adventures
You can enjoy trout fishing, go boating on the clear waters, or simply take in the beautiful sights. Roads run along the north side of Lake Aluminé and the west side of Lake Moquehue. Along these roads, you'll find many places to stay and private homes. A road also leads from the lakes to Chile, which is just a few miles away.
Skiing on a Volcano
There's even a small ski resort on the slopes of the Batea Mahuida volcano. This resort is run by the Puel community of Mapuche people. The Mapuche are the original inhabitants of this region, living here long before the first European settlers arrived in the 1890s.
See also
In Spanish: Lago Aluminé para niños
