Primary outflows Lower Taymyra Max. length 204 km (127 mi) Surface area 4,560 km (1,760 sq mi) Area 4,560 km² Width 154 km Inflow source Taymyr River | Basin countries Russia Max. width 154 km (96 mi) Catchment area 104,300 km² Surface elevation 6 m Mean depth 2.8 m Outflow location Taymyr River | |
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Primary inflows | ||
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.
Contents
Map of Ozero Taymyr, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, 647470
Geography
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, Yamutarida and Kalamissamo. The Lower Taymyra River 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.
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.