Laguna Salada (Mexico)

Laguna Salada
Laguna Salada Location in Baja California Show map of Baja California Laguna Salada Location in Mexico Show map of Mexico
Location	Sonoran Desert Mexicali Municipality, Baja California
Coordinates	32°22′N 115°39′W / 32.36°N 115.65°W / 32.36; -115.65
Lake type	Endorheic basin
Etymology	Salty lagoon in Spanish
Primary inflows	rain dependent
Primary outflows	Terminal (evaporation)
Basin countries	Mexico
Max. length	60 km (37 mi)
Max. width	17 km (11 mi)
Shore length1	250 km (160 mi)
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Laguna Salada (Spanish, "salty lagoon") is a vast dry lake some 10 meters below sea level in the Sonoran Desert of Baja California, 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Mexicali.^[1] This lake was called "Ha wi mək" in Cocopah language and "Ha-sa-ai" in Kumeyaay language.^{[citation needed]} When dry, the flatness of the exposed lake bed sediments makes it a favoured location for recreational driving. It is also notorious for its dust storms when dry, usually the result of monsoonal thunderstorms during the summer. During times of significant rain the lagoon can fill completely with water, leaving the unpaved road along its west bank as the only means of traversing the area. Flanked by the Sierra de Los Cucapah and the Sierra de Juárez mountain ranges, the lake is approximately 60 km (37 mi) long and 17 km (11 mi) at its widest point.