Elter Water

This article is about the lake. For the village, see Elterwater.

Elter Water is a small lake in the Lake District in North West England, half a mile southeast of the village of the same name. It has a length of 0.62 miles (1.00 km), maximum width of approximately 0.24 miles (0.39 km), a maximum depth of 7 metres (7.7 yd), and an area of 0.16 square kilometres (0.062 sq mi). Its outflow is the River Brathay, which flows south to join Windermere near Ambleside.^[1] Windermere is itself drained by the River Leven, which flows into Morecambe Bay. The lake is in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness and the ceremonial county of Cumbria.

Elter Water
Elter Water with the Langdale Pikes in the background
Elter Water Location in the Lake District National Park Show map of the Lake District Elter Water Location in South Lakeland, Cumbria Show map of the former South Lakeland district
Location	Lake District, Cumbria
Coordinates	54.427469°N 3.025875°W / 54.427469; -3.025875
Type	Tarn
Primary inflows	River Brathay, Langdale Beck
Primary outflows	River Brathay
Basin countries	United Kingdom
Max. length	1,030 yd (940 m)
Max. width	350 yd (320 m)
Surface area	0.06 sq mi (0.16 km2)
Max. depth	20 ft (6.1 m)
Shore length1	2.9 km (1.8 mi)
Surface elevation	187 ft (57 m)
Islands	2
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Elter Water forms part of the boundary between the historic counties of Lancashire and Westmorland, and is the northernmost point of the former.

Toponymy

The name Elterwater means either

• Lake of the Swan (" 'The lake frequented by swans', from Old Norse 'elptr'/'alpt' 'swan', in the genitive sing.[ular] form with '-ar', and 'water', probably replacing Old Norse 'vatn' 'lake'. Whooper swans still winter on the lake")^[2]
• or Lake of Alder.^[1]

Ecology

The lake is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, but there have been problems with water quality, in particular eutrophication.^[3] Navigation is prohibited on the lake.^[1]

Cultural references

Thomas Frederick Worrall painted a watercolour of the lake with Langdale Pikes in the background. This painting is hanging in the Bishop's House, Keswick.