GOOGLE MAPSSatellite image of Lake Palmas, in Linhares (Espírito Santo): 50.7 meters deepGOOGLE MAPS
The Lower Doce River Valley region is the site of the deepest natural lake in Brazil. The research team headed by Gilberto Barroso at the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) has prepared a detailed morphometric study – i.e., determined the size and shape – of Lake Palmas in the city of Linhares, near the Espírito Santo State coast, concluding that its deepest point is 50.7 meters below the surface (PLOS One, November 18, 2014). The study showed that the average depth of the lake, 21.4 meters, is also likely to be a national record for lacustrine formations, with the exception of artificial systems such as dam reservoirs. The measurements were based on a bathymetric survey conducted in 2011 and an analysis of hydrography and wind data in this part of the Lower Rio Doce Valley. The surface of the lake covers an area of 10.3 square kilometers. Located in a region with approximately 90 lakes, Lake Palmas is shaped like a letter Y, or a two-pronged fork. Due to its configuration, most of its water is found at great depths and far from the borders, and some layers of water never mix. This causes a lack of oxygen in the deeper parts of the lake. In their work, the authors also comment on the present situation in the Lower Doce River Valley: “There are warning signs that the water balance in the basin is under pressure due to the unregulated uses of water for the year-round irrigation of croplands.”
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