Lake Urmia
| Lake Urmia | |
|---|---|
Lake Urmia from space in 1984 | |
Lake Urmia | |
| Coordinates | 37°42′N 45°22′E / 37.700°N 45.367°E |
| Type | salt (hypersaline) lake |
| Primary inflows | Zarriné-Rūd, Simineh-Rūd, Mahabad River, Gadar River, Barandouz River, Shahar River, Nazlou River, Zola River, Kaftar Ali Chay, Aji Chay, Boyuk Chay, Rudkhaneh-ye Qal'eh Chay, Qobi Chay, Rudkhaneh-ye Mordaq, Leylan River; diversion from the Zab River |
| Primary outflows | none: all water entering the lake is lost through evaporation |
| Basin countries | Iran |
| Max. length | 140 km (87 mi) [1995] |
| Max. width | 70 km (43 mi) [1995] |
| Surface area | 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi) [2021-april] |
| Average depth | 6 to 8 m (20 to 26 ft) [1910–2012] |
| Max. depth | 15 to 20 m (49 to 66 ft) [1910–2012] |
| Water volume | 5.5 km3 (1.3 cu mi) [2021] |
| Salinity | 217–235 g L−1 Na–(Mg)–Cl–(SO4) brine [20th c.] 8–11% in spring, 26–28% in late autumn |
| Islands | 102 [1995] (see list) |
| References | |
| Official name | Lake Urmia [or Orumiyeh] |
| Designated | 23 June 1975 |
| Reference no. | 38 |
| Location | |
Interactive map of Lake Urmia | |
Lake Urmia is an endorheic salt lake in Iran. The lake is located in the Iranian region of Azerbaijan, near the Armenian border and south of the Caspian Sea. At its greatest extent, it was the largest lake in the Middle East. It was once the sixth-largest saltwater lake on Earth, with a surface area of approximately 6,000 km2 (2,300 sq mi), a length of 140 km (87 mi), a width of 70 km (43 mi), and a maximum depth of 20 m (66 ft).
By late 2017, the lake had shrunk to 10% of its former size (and 1/60 of water volume in 1998) due to persistent general drought in Iran, but also the damming of the rivers that flow into it, and the pumping of groundwater from the surrounding area. This dry spell was broken in 2019 and the lake began filling up once again, due to both increased rain and water diversion from the Zab River under the Urmia Lake Research Programme. The trend reversed again in early 2020s, and a combination of drought and administrative mismanagement caused a renewed acute drop in water levels. Based on NASA's satellite imagery, the lake has almost entirely dried up by September 2025.
Lake Urmia, along with its approximately 102 (former) islands, is protected as a national park by the Iranian Department of Environment.