Chilika Lake

Chilika Lake is the largest brackish water lagoon in Asia and second largest coastal lagoon in the world, spread over the Puri, Khordha and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal, covering an area of over 1,100 square kilometres (420 sq mi).

Chilika
Birds eyeview of Chilika Lake
Chilika
LocationOdisha
Coordinates19°43′N 85°19′E
Lake typeBrackish
Primary inflows52 streams including the Bhargavi, Daya, Makra, Malaguni and Luna rivers
Primary outflowsOld mouth at Arakhakuda, new mouth at Satpada to Bay of Bengal
Catchment area3,560 km2 (1,370 sq mi)
Basin countriesIndia
Max. length64.3 km (40.0 mi)
Surface areamin.: 900 km2 (347 sq mi)
max.: 1,165 km2 (450 sq mi)
Max. depth4.2 m (13.8 ft)
Water volume4 km3 (3,200,000 acre⋅ft)
Surface elevation0 – 2 m (6.6 ft)
Islands223 km2 (86 sq mi):
Badakuda, Breakfast, Honeymoon, Kalijai Island, Birds Island, Kanthapantha, Krushnaprasada (Old Parikuda), Nalabana, Nuapara, Somolo and Sanakuda.
SettlementsBalugaon, Satpada, Parikud, Rambha
References
Ramsar Wetland
Designated1 October 1981
Reference no.229

Chilika Lake comes after the New Caledonian barrier reef. It has been listed as a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site. Its salinity varies by region, from freshwater where rivers flow in, to oceanic salinity levels due to tidal influx.

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