Lake Baikal
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Foundational Identity: Situated in a deep tectonic rift hollow flanked by 2,000 m mountain ranges, Lake Baikal receives >330 tributaries (led by the Selenga, Upper Angara, and Barguzin) and drains solely via the Angara River Core Thesis: Lake Baikal combines unmatched limnological age, depth, and endemic biodiversity (~80% endemic flora and fauna) with modern hydro-regulation tension from the Irkutsk Hydroelectric Power Plant Hydrological Regulation: Following completion of the Irkutsk HPP in 1956 (backwater reaching the lake in 1958), average lake levels rose ~0.7–0.8 m above conditionally natural levels (456.40 m vs. 455.70 m PHS over 1960–2020) Water Clarity & Thermal Regime: Low mineralization yields 40 m (130 ft) surface visibility; the surface freezes from January to May/June while August surface waters average 10–12 °C
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Structured Facts & Specifications
Verified highlightsUnesco World Heritage Inscription
Inscribed 1996 (World Heritage ID 754; criteria vii, viii, ix, x) covering 88,000 sq km
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Location
Southern eastern Siberia, Russia (Republic of Buryatia and Irkutsk Oblast)
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Official Website
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Age Freshwater Share
20–25 million years old (world's oldest freshwater lake), holding ~20% of Earth's unfrozen fresh surface water
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Physical Dimensions
Length 636 km (395 mi), average width 48 km (30 mi), surface area 31,500 sq km, maximum depth 1,620 m (5,315 ft), volume ~23,000 cu km
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Category
Ancient Rift Lake
Age & Freshwater Share
20–25 million years old (world's oldest freshwater lake), holding ~20% of Earth's unfrozen fresh surface water
