Lake Singkarak

Singkarak
Lake Singkarak and the Ombilin river circa 1900
Location	West Sumatra, Indonesia
Coordinates	0°37′12″S 100°32′24″E / 0.62000°S 100.54000°E / -0.62000; 100.54000Coordinates: 0°37′12″S 100°32′24″E / 0.62000°S 100.54000°E / -0.62000; 100.54000
Type	Tectonic
Primary inflows	Sumani River
Primary outflows	Ombilin River, Anai River
Basin countries	Indonesia
Surface area	107.8 km2 (41.6 sq mi)
Average depth	149 m (489 ft)
Max. depth	268 m (879 ft)
Water volume	16.1 km3 (13,100,000 acre·ft)
Surface elevation	362 m (1,188 ft)

Lake Singkarak (Indonesian: Danau Singkarak) is a lake in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is located between the cities of Padang Panjang and Solok. It has an area of 107.8 km², being approximately 21 km long and 7 km wide. The natural outlet for excess water is the Ombilin river which flows eastward to the Strait of Malacca. A hydroelectric project, however, has diverted most of the lake outflow to the Anai river which flows westward into the Indian Ocean near Padang. This Singkarak power station uses this water to generate power for the West Sumatra and Riau provinces. A species of fish called ikan bilih (Mystacoleucus padangensis) is endemic to the lake, and is harvested for human consumption. A railway line, which connects Padang and Sawahlunto-Sijunjung, skirts the length of the lake on the eastern side.