POOP, LAKE

Spanish Lago Poop, lake in west-central Bolivia, occupying a shallow depression in the Altiplano, or high plateau, at 12,090 feet (3,686 m) above sea level. It is the country's second largest lake and covers 977 square miles (2,530 square km) at low stage. It is about 56 miles (90 km) long and 20 miles (32 km) wide but only 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 m) deep. The Desaguadero and Mrquez rivers feed the lake, and its only visible outlet is the Lacajahuira River. During floods (high stage) it spills into the Coipasa Salt Flat, 50 miles (80 km) to the southwest. Salt content of the water is heavy because of excessive evaporation. Settlement on its shores, made marshy by filtration of water into the lake bed, is sparse.