Lake Saroma (サロマ湖, Saroma-ko), also Saroma Lagoon,[1] is a coastal lagoon (hence a body of brackish water) in Saroma, Kitami, and Yūbetsu. It is located in Abashiri Quasi-National Park. By area, the lake is the third largest in Japan and the largest in Hokkaidō.
| Lake Saroma | |
|---|---|
| Saroma Lagoon | |
| サロマ湖 (Japanese) | |
 Overlooking Lake Saroma | |
  Lake Saroma | |
| Location | Okhotsk, Hokkaidō, Japan |
| Coordinates | 44°10′N 143°43′E / 44.167°N 143.717°E |
| Type | Mesotrophic |
| Primary outflows | Sea of Okhotsk |
| Catchment area | 618 km2 (239 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | Japan |
| Surface area | 150 km2 (37,000 acres) |
| Average depth | 8.7 m (29 ft) |
| Max. depth | 19.5 m (64 ft) |
| Water volume | 1.3 km3 (0.31 cu mi) |
| Shore length1 | 82.4 km (51.2 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Frozen | December to March |
| Islands | none |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. | |
The name comes from the Ainu place name Saruomahetsu, meaning "place of many Miscanthus reeds and rushes".[2]
Another nearby coastal lagoon is Notoro Lagoon, about 15 km (9.3 mi) to the east.
References
edit- ^ Japan, the New Official Guide. Japan Travel Bureau. 1966. p. 1046.
To the NW of Lake Abashiri lie the Notoro Lagoon (32 km in circumference and 58 sq km in area) and the Saroma Lagoon (72 km in circumference and 149 sq km in area).
- ^ Akagi Sanpei (赤木 三兵), Journey of Hokkaidō Place Names—Notes on Ainu Language Place Names (北海道 地名の旅—アイヌ語地名解, Hokkaidō Chimei no Tabi — Ainugo Chimei Kai), page 56
- SAROMA-KO, World Lakes Database, International Lake Environment Committee