Lake Enriquillo

Enriquillo Lake is the largest in the Dominican Republic and is on the West.  Its size of 265km² is not constant.  Its waters are shared by the provinces and the Baoruco Independence. It is part of the National Park and Island Lake Enriquillo Kids and Biosphere Reserve, Jaragua-Bahoruco Enriquillo.

It is the remainder of an ancient sea channel linking Neiba Bay and Port au Prince.  It is located about 44 meters below sea level.  The lake level fluctuates due to the strong evaporation of the area, which is not compensated for simultaneously by rain and runoff of surface waters of the basin, as well as the rains of hurricanes and the flooding of rivers. In 1990, it was 34m below sea level while in 1979 it reached almost 46m below sea level.

The historical trend is declining because the waters which feed it are being used in agriculture and for consumption in cities, while the evaporation is constant.

The depth of the bottom of the lake is variable and is greater in the north of the island, with an elevation 79m below sea level.  By 1979, before the passage of Hurricane David, the deep north of Kids was 19.5m while the south was only 7.6m. In 1980, one year after the passage of Hurricane David, the maximum depth to the north was 23.4m while the south side was 12.3m.
The salinity of Lake Enriquillo is higher than the sea and the variation depends mainly on evaporation.  The bottom of the north side of the lake has been found to exceed the maximum 66ppm (parts per million) at the bottom, which is a hyper-saline lake.  The temperature in the entire area is relatively high, ranging between 27 degrees Celsius to 28ºC, even reaching 36ºC.  Precipitation is low because the lake is in a dry area. Average annual rainfall is 500mm which is concentrated in two periods: May-June and September-October.

Islands

Its three islands are below sea level. Kids Island is the largest (12 x 2.2km) and an elongated shape. The other two islands are Barbarita (also known locally as “Chiquita”) and Islita.  There are prolonged droughts on these islands.
Flora and Fauna

Its fauna is very diverse and interesting, especially regarding reptiles and birds. Among birds, the most striking is the Flemish. Among the reptiles there are two species of iguana, the rhinoceros iguana (Cyclura cornuta) and of Ricord iguana (Cyclura ricordi). Then there is the American crocodile population in the lake which is one of the largest in the world in the wild.  It is an endangered species in the country. It feeds on fish such as tilapia (introduced species).

The vegetation of the surrounding islands are typical of dry forest, except in places where mangroves are common.  Cacti are common as well as IPE (Guaiacum officinale), or Bayahonda Cambron (Prosopis juliflora) and others.  A species is the Saone (Ziziphus rignonii) because its fruits are eaten by iguanas.   Kids Island is the only dry forest hiperxerofítico that exists below sea level in the Americas. The highest part of Kids Island is 5m below sea level.
Towns

There are many towns around Lake Enriquillo whose inhabitants live on agriculture. The major focus for all activities in the lake is The Discovery, which has a spa with fresh water (Las Bari). The office and main entrance of the National Park is located a few miles from The Discovery, called The Sulfur.

Tourism

Lake Enriquillo has become an important tourist destination for both domestic and foreign tourism.  Most of those who make the visit by the Sulfur, only spend a day there. To visit the Kids Island (The Sulfur) it is necessary to arrive early in the morning because after noon the waves are very strong.