Valgjärv (also or ) is a lake in southeastern Estonia, close to the border with Latvia. It is located in the settlement of Rõuge in Rõuge Parish, Võru County.
Physical description The lake has an area of . The lake has an average depth of and a maximum depth of . It is long, and its shoreline measures . It has a volume of .
Names The name () is a common designation for lakes in Estonia (compare also the similar Finnish hydronym Valkeajärvi). The naming motivation is considered to be clear water with a shallow light sandy bottom in some areas of the lake. Some lakes named Valgjärv may also have been named to contrast with neighboring lakes called Mustjärv (). The variant name , referring to the settlement of Rõuge where the lake is lovated, disinguishes the lake from other Estonian lakes named Valgjärv. The alternate name 'Lake Jaanipeebu' refers to the village of Jaanipeebu, which borders the lake to the southwest.
History According to local information, a Soviet aircraft was hidden in the lake, dating from the Second World War. In 2002, a diving expedition to the indicated spot on the lake bottom found the cockpit and part of the fuselage at a depth of meters. The fuselage was missing the wings and the rear part, which were not found.
References
See also List of lakes of Estonia