Overview
About Lake Mývatn
Water in a volcanic landscape
The lake covers roughly 37 square kilometres and averages only about 2.5 metres deep. Numerous islands break up its surface. Lava flows have repeatedly reshaped the basin and its drainage: an early lake formed when the Older Laxárdalshraun lava blocked a river valley. Springs supply water to the lake, which drains into the Laxá river.
A rich freshwater food web
Mineral-rich spring water supports abundant algae. Midge larvae and small crustaceans feed within this productive system, supplying food for fish and waterbirds. The lake's ecological importance consequently depends on organisms beneath the surface as well as its conspicuous birdlife. Changes in water quality can affect these linked populations.
Wetland significance
Mývatn and the Laxá form a protected lake-and-river landscape recognised under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands. Conservation encompasses biodiversity and distinctive geological formations, while the surrounding catchment matters because the lake's condition depends on the water entering it.
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