Khar Lake (Khovd)

48°05′N 93°12′E / 48.08°N 93.2°E / 48.08; 93.2Lake typeeutrophicPrimary inflowsChono Kharaikh GolPrimary outflowsTeeliin GolCatchment area76,800 km² (29,700 sq mi)^[1]Basin countriesMongolia, Russia^[2]Max. length37 km (23 mi)Max. width24 km (15 mi)Surface area575 km² (222 sq mi)Average depth4.2 m (14 ft)Max. depth7 m (23 ft)Water volume2.422 km³ (0.581 cu mi)Residence time1.7 yearsSurface elevation1,132.3 m (3,715 ft)FrozenDecember - April

Khar Lake (Mongolian: Хар нуур, ᠬᠠᠷ᠎ᠠᠨᠠᠭᠤᠷ; lit. 'Black Lake') is located in the Khovd aimag (province) in western Mongolia's Great Lakes Depression.

It is also known as Ha-la Hu, Hara Nuur, Har Nuur, Khara Nur, Khar Nuur, and Ozero Kara-Nor^[3]

It should be distinguished from the similarly named Khar Lake (Zavkhan), another lake further east in Mongolia.

It is part of a group of lakes that were once part of a larger prehistoric lake that disappeared 5,000 years ago as the region became drier.

Some sources are using different Khar Lake statistics values:^[4]

• Water level: 1,134.08 m
• Surface area: 565.2 km²
• Average depth: 4.14 m
• Volume: 2.34 km³.

Water balance of Khar Lake^[4]
(Unit of water balance: mm/year)

Surface input		Surface output		Groundwater inflow- outflow	Retention time, years
Precipitation	Inflow	Evaporation	Outflow
54.0	1,786.9	1,117.8	1,287.9	+564.8	1.7

Khar Lake has a single inflow - Chono Kharaikh Gol river, which creates a river delta.

Khar Lake has a connection to Dörgön Nuur south of it.

Lakes