Razelm Lake

Lake Razelm
Lake Razelm Location in Romania
Coordinates	44°49′36″N 28°59′05″E / 44.82667°N 28.98472°E / 44.82667; 28.98472Coordinates: 44°49′36″N 28°59′05″E / 44.82667°N 28.98472°E / 44.82667; 28.98472
Primary outflows	Lake Golovița
Basin countries	Romania
Max. length	28.5 kilometres (17.7 mi)
Max. width	15 kilometres (9.3 mi)
Surface area	415 square kilometres (160 sq mi)
Residence time	300-600 days
Islands	Popina Island
Settlements	Sarichioi

Lake Razelm or Lake Razim (Romanian: Lacul Razim, Lacul Razelm) is the name of a large freshwater lagoon on the shores of the Black Sea in Romania, south of the Danube Delta and part of its World Heritage Site. It is the largest lake in Romania.

The name is also sometimes applied to the complex it forms with several other limans and lagoons. This complex can be separated into two subgroups. The northern subgroup contains freshwater Razelm and Lake Golovița, which are connected by a channel 1.9 miles (3.1 km) wide, whereas the southern group is made up of salt lakes. All these lakes cover an area of about 1000 km², 400 km² of it being the area of Lake Razelm alone.

When the Razelm/Golovița system was closed from the ocean in the late 1970s, this resulted in several changes to the ecological conditions of the system, including an decrease in salinity to almost zero, an increase in refreshment time to over a year, and episodes of eutrophication. Despite this environmental degradation, the system remains an important habitat. Three families of cockles could be found in Romania in the 1960s, and the two that remain are found only in Razelm (albeit at reduced densities).Popina Island at the north end of the lake is an important refuge for many bird species and invertebrates.