Laguna del Cisne, Canelones, Lagoon in Salinas, Canelones, Uruguay
Laguna del Cisne is a subtropical freshwater lagoon in southern Canelones, near Salinas and Empalme Olmos, with an average surface of 1.8 km². Its waters drain through the Tropa Vieja stream into the Pando stream, part of the Río de la Plata basin. To the east lies the Humedal del Estero, a wetland of similar size to the lagoon's water surface.
The lagoon became the main water source for the coastal region starting in 1970 and was managed by the water authority. This role made it central to the infrastructure serving several communities across the area.
The name Laguna del Cisne is used for the water body that supplies the OSE potabilisation plant installed in 1971, serving the eastern Costa de Oro. The lagoon and its basin are the subject of management and conservation measures, including the Comisión de Cuenca created in 2014. Visitors passing the surrounding routes see a working reservoir rather than a recreational lake.
The lagoon lies between the routes to Salinas and Empalme Olmos, with Route 8 to the north, Route 11 to the east, Route 87 to the west and Route 34 to the northwest. The eastern side holds the Humedal del Estero, a wetland about the size of the water surface itself. The basin covers roughly 50 km² of farmland and small settlements, so access roads cross working rural land.
The wetland east of the lagoon, El Estero, covers an area similar to the lagoon's own 1.8 km² surface. It regulates water flow, retains sediment and nutrients, and supports biodiversity in the basin. The lagoon's water drains through the Tropa Vieja stream into the Pando stream, part of the Río de la Plata watershed.
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