Detailed Data Lake Baikal

Partner Living Lakes

FIRN and Baikal Information Center GRAN

Partner Lake since

1999

Origin

tectonic

Age

at least 25 million years,

world´s oldest lake

Size

31,500 sq. km [km²]

world´s 7th largest lake by surface area

Length

636 km

widest position: 80 km

smallest position: 23 km

Water volume

23,600 billion of cubic m [m³]

world´s largest lake by volume,

corresponding 20 % of the global fresh water reserves

and 80 % of the Russian fresh water reserves

Maximum depth

1,637 m

world´s deepest lake

Height of sediment

7,000 m

Sea level

445 m

Catchment area

571,000 sq. km [km²]

In-flows

365 brooks and rivers

Largest in-flows

Selenga, Upper Angara, Barguzin, Goloustnaja

Out-flows

1 (Angara)

25

greatest island: Olchon (length: 77 km, width: 25 km)

Salinity

fresh water

Precipitation per year

in the south of Lake Baikal: till 900 mm

Mean air temperature

- 0,6 °C

in January: - 19 °C, till - 50 °C possible

in August: + 11 °C

+ 3 °C (at the surface)

+ 9 till + 12 °C (in the summer time)

Frozen time period

Completely frozen over

every year in January

Location

Russia

Vegetation

steppe, hills and taiga

Number of species

endemic

2,600 animal and plant species

60 % animal species

15 % plant species

Birds

Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis)

Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos)

White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)

Great Bustard (Otis tarda)

Nesting birds

261 species

Waterfowl max.

5 - 7 million individuals in Selenga Delta,

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus)

Eurasian Bittern (Botaurus stellaris)

Stork, Swan

65 species,

Baikal Seal / Nerpa (Pusa sibirica)

Siberian Roe Deer (Capreolus pygargus)

Sable (Martes zibellina)

Arctic Dwelling Deer (Rangifer tarandus)

Daurian Hedgehog (Mesechinus dauuricus)

Palls Cat (Otocolobus manul)

Siberian Chipmunk (Eutamias sibiricus)

5 species

Fish

53 species, 27 endemic

Omul (Coregonus autumnalis migratorius)

Golomjanka (Comephorus baicalensis)

Inhabitants (lake-side)

1 million people (3.8 million people in the region)

Biggest problems

uncontrolled construction in coastal areas, "wild" waste dumps, forest fires, traffic volume, untreated waste water