Lake Taymyr

Lake Taymyr (Russian: Таймы́р, Таймы́рское о́зеро) is a lake of the central regions of the Taymyr Peninsula in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russian Federation. It is located south of the Byrranga Mountains.

Lake Taymyr
Location of Lake Taymyr in the center of the Taymyr Peninsula
Lake Taymyr
LocationTaymyr Peninsula, Taymyrsky Dolgano-Nenetsky District, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia
Coordinates74°32′34″N 101°38′39″E
Primary inflowsZapadnaya, Severnaya, Bikada-Nguoma, Yamu-Tarida, Kalamissamo, Upper Taymyra
Primary outflowsLower Taymyra
Catchment area104,300 km2 (40,300 sq mi) [1]
Basin countriesRussia
Max. length204 km (127 mi) [2]
Max. width154 km (96 mi) [2]
Surface area4,560 km2 (1,760 sq mi) [3]
Average depth2.8 m (9.2 ft) [3]
Max. depth26 m (85 ft) [3]
Water volume12.8 km3 (3.1 cu mi)
Surface elevation6 m (20 ft) [3]
Frozenlate September until June
Islands20
Settlementsnone

Geography
See also: Taymyra

Lake Taymyr is large, with a length of 165 km roughly east-to-west. It has an irregular shape with many arms projecting in different directions that cover a wide region. Its maximum width, however, is only about 23 km in its broadest area which is towards the eastern end of the lake.

Lake Taymyr is covered with ice from late September until June. The main river flowing into its basin, from the west, is the Upper Taymyra. Other rivers flowing into it are the Zapadnaya, Severnaya, Bikada-Nguoma, Yamu-Tarida and Kalamissamo. The Lower Taymyra flows out of the lake northwards across the Byrranga mountain region.

The tundra areas south of Lake Taymyr are full of smaller lakes and marshes. There are two quite large lakes east and southeast of the easternmost part of Lake Taymyr, which is Yamuneru Bay: 33 km east is Lake Kungusalakh, and 72 km southeast is Lake Portnyagino. Both lakes are about 20 km across.

Ecology

Lake Taymyr is teeming with many kinds of fish typical of cold Arctic waters, like loach, sig, and muksun. But there is overexploitation of some fish species despite the remoteness of the area.[4]

Slight plutonium contamination has been detected in the sediments of Lake Taymyr. This is perhaps a consequence of wind-carried particles after the numerous atmospheric nuclear tests in Novaya Zemlya during the Cold War.

Water temperatures
  • Average water temperature in August: +7 °C
  • During winter, water temperature is slightly above 1 °C
  • Lake Taymyr
  • Catchment Area
  • Lake Taymyr. US military map 1964 г.

References
  1. Ministry for Natural Resources of the Russian Federation: Physico-geographical conditions of the Taimyr Reserve Archived 2005-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
  2. measured from satellite image
  3. Great Soviet Encyclopedia: Lake Taimyr (Russian)
  4. Overexploitation of some fish species
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