LakeNet - Lakes

Cocibolca (Nicaragua)

General Information

Description	The aboriginal name for this lake, Cocibolca, means "sweet sea". It is the largest lake in Central America and one of the very few, or perhaps the only, freshwater lake to have sharks, although their numbers have dropped precipitously.

Country	Nicaragua

Latitude	11° 30' 0" (11.5000)

Longitude	-85° 30' 0" (-85.5000)

State

Maps

	Cocibolca global index map (LakeNet Explorer)

	Cocibolca location map

	Latin America & Mexico Biodiversity Conservation Priorities

	Lake Basin Management Initiative (LakeNet Explorer)

	USAID-supported Lake Basin Management and Biodiversity Conservation Technical Assistance 2003-2004 (LakeNet Explorer)

Physical Characteristics

Description	Cocibolca is one of the 40 largest lakes in the world by both surface area and volume. Its origins are both tectonic and volcanic.

Volume	108.00 km³

Surface Area	8,150.00 km²

Depth	Mean depth: 13.0 m Maximum depth: 45.0 m

Origin	Tectonic

Type	Fresh Permanent Natural

Catchment	Catchment size: 23,844.00 km² Catchment/surface area ratio: 3:1

Socio-Political

Watershed Management

Description	An organization of mayors of municipalities surrounding Lake Cocibolca has been established (AMUGRAN). AMUGRAN and coalition partners have presented leading legislators and executive branch officers with legislation establishing a sustainable development corridor that unites the Xolotan, Cocibolca and San Juan River watersheds, to promote watershed-wide planning and protection. A GEF-funded project developed the San Juan River Basin Strategic Action Program in January 2001.

Watershed Action Plan	In development

Issues	Main threats include the aquafarming of invasive tilapia, toxics from opencast mining, aerial fertilizing, fumigating, and urban wastewater. Commercial fishing targeting largetooth sawfish has caused a large decline in populations since 1970. Meat derived from these fish is consumed domestically and exported overseas. The Bull Shark (Carcharhinus leucas), which migrates between the Caribbean Sea and Lake Cocibolca is also being overexploited. Other threats include sedimentation from logging, road construction, and makeshift settlements in urban areas. Mining has caused the loss of aquatic and riparian habitats, and the disappearance of numerous species of fish, mammals, birds and invertebrates.

Other Issues	Erosion Fisheries Point source pollution Polluted runoff Toxics

Specific Contaminants	Industrial Mining Pesticides

Monitoring

Monitoring Programs	In-Lake Water Quality Tributaries/Watershed Land Use

Biodiversity Conservation

Description	The sawfish Pristis perotteti is endemic to Lake Colcibolca.

Designations	LakeNet Biodiversity Priority Ramsar Site WWF Conservation Status Priority II

Species of Concern

Invasive Species Level	Moderate

Organizations

•	Research Center for Inland Waters of Nicaragua, University Nacional Autonoma de Nicaragua

•	Association of Municipalities in the Watershed of the Great Lake Nicaragua

LakeNet Programs

•	World Lake Basin Management Initiative

•	LakeNet 2000: A Dialogue on Participatory Watershed Management

•	USAID-funded Technical Assistance

•	Nicaragua: Lake Cocibolca Integrated Water Management and Biodiversity Conservation

•	LBMI Regional Experience Sharing and Review Workshop for Europe, Central Asia & the Americas

Documents

•	Cocibolca/Nicaragua (PDF) Experience Brief. Final. 2/27/2006.

•	LakeNet News, Winter 2003-2004 (PDF) Newsletter. Final. English. 12/20/2003.

•	Managing Lake Basins for Sustainable Use - Lake Basin Management Initiative Final Report (PDF) Project Report. Final. English. 2/27/2006.

Resources

•	Biodiversity Conservation of the World's Lakes: A Preliminary Framework for Identifying Priorities

•	Crop Explorer - Global Reservoir and Lake Elevation Monitoring

•	Crop Explorer - Lake Level Variations from TOPEX/POSEIDON and Jason-1 Altimetry for Lake Cocibolca (Nicaragua)

•	Freshwater Biodiversity of Latin America and the Caribbean: A Conservation Assessment

•	ILEC Database

•	Ometepe Biological Field Station (on largest island in Cocibolca)

•	Tilapia farming: benefit or menace?

News

•	1/18/2006 - Nicaragua bans freshwater shark fishing

•	9/28/2004 - Dead Fish in Cocibolca Lake of Nicaragua

•	4/23/2004 - Towards a Lake Basin Management Initiative

•	3/19/2003 - Muerte de peces es cancer ambiental

•	1/21/2003 - Cocibolca peligra por contaminantes

•	9/16/2001 - Auscultan situacion del Lago Cocibolca

Additional Data Sources

•	Birkett, C., and I. Mason. 1995. A new global lakes database for remote sensing programme studying climatically sensitive large lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 21 (3) 307-318.

•	Duker, L. and L. Borre. 2001. Biodiversity conservation of the world's lakes: a preliminary framework for identifying priorities. LakeNet Report Series Number 2. Annapolis, Maryland USA.


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