Lake_Sibinacocha
Lake Sibinacocha
Dam
Lake Sibinacocha[1][2] (possibly from Quechua siwina whistle, qucha lake, lagoon)[3] is a lake in Peru. It is ranked as the 22nd[4] highest lake in the world. It is located in the Cusco Region, Canchis Province, Pitumarca District.[2] The lake is situated at a height of approximately 4,873 metres (15,988 ft), about 15.19 km long and 2.86 km at its widest point, and drains into the Amazon River.[5] Sibinacocha lies in the Vilcanota Range, south of Chumpe and southwest of Condoriquiña.[1]
The lake contains Inca artifact, some of which have been recovered from the lake.[5] Sacred sites around the lake have been studied as possible locations of the lost Ausangate temple.[6] The area has been studied for its importance to the greater Urubamba-Vilcanota watershed.[6] A high-altitude diver, Geoffrey Belter, died in 2014 while exploring the lake.[6]
An earthen dam was erected at the lake in 1996.[7] It is 357 m (1,171 ft) long and 12 m (39 ft) high.[7] The reservoir has a volume of 50,000 m3 (41 acre⋅ft) and a capacity of 110,000,000 m3 (89,000 acre⋅ft).[7] It is operated by EGEMSA.[7]
