Lake Chala
Encyclopedia
Lake Chala is a crater lake
in a caldera
on the borders of Tanzania
and Kenya
on the eastern edge of Mount Kilimanjaro, not far from the town of Moshi
and 8 km north of Taveta
. Depending on the time of year, it ranges in colour from deep blue to turquoise and green, it is surrounded by a 100 meters high crater rim. The lake is fed by groundwater flows, which come from Mount Kilimanjaro
, feeded and drained under ground with a rate of about 10 million m³ / year. Even the Chala loses volume. It´s level had dropped in the last 6 years, by 2.4 meters, at the start of 2011 the water level has risen again by over 1 meter.
The lake is home to the endemic Lake Chala tilapia
(Oreochromis hunteri). now an on the IUCN red list of threatened species http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/60634/0
Crocodiles were introduced to Lake Chala in the early 1900s, and in 2002, a woman was killed by a rare dwarf crocodile while swimming in the lake. Since then the local fishermen, tired of having their nets ripped to pieces, started an eradication programme by shooting and poisoning. It is doubtful if any crocodiles remain in the lake today.
This stunning volcanic area is rapidly growing in tourism and it is now possible to stay at Lake Chala at the new camp on the Tanzanian side.
Crater lake
A crater lake is a lake that forms in a volcanic crater or caldera, such as a maar; less commonly and with lower association to the term a lake may form in an impact crater caused by a meteorite. Sometimes lakes which form inside calderas are called caldera lakes, but often this distinction is not...
in a caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
on the borders of Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
on the eastern edge of Mount Kilimanjaro, not far from the town of Moshi
Moshi
Moshi is a Tanzanian town with a population of 144,739 in Kilimanjaro Region. The town is situated on the lower slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, a volcanic mountain that is the highest mountain in Africa....
and 8 km north of Taveta
Taveta, Kenya
Taveta is a town in the Taveta District of Coast Province in Kenya. The town has an urban population of 11,500 .- Overview :The town of Taveta is wedged into a projection of Kenyan territory bordered on the north and west by Tanzania. The irregularity in the border was created c...
. Depending on the time of year, it ranges in colour from deep blue to turquoise and green, it is surrounded by a 100 meters high crater rim. The lake is fed by groundwater flows, which come from Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro
Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira, is a dormant volcano in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at above sea level .-Geology:...
, feeded and drained under ground with a rate of about 10 million m³ / year. Even the Chala loses volume. It´s level had dropped in the last 6 years, by 2.4 meters, at the start of 2011 the water level has risen again by over 1 meter.
The lake is home to the endemic Lake Chala tilapia
Lake Chala tilapia
The Lake Chala tilapia is a species of fish in the Cichlidae family. It is endemic to Kenya. Its natural habitat is freshwater lakes.-Source:...
(Oreochromis hunteri). now an on the IUCN red list of threatened species http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/60634/0
Crocodiles were introduced to Lake Chala in the early 1900s, and in 2002, a woman was killed by a rare dwarf crocodile while swimming in the lake. Since then the local fishermen, tired of having their nets ripped to pieces, started an eradication programme by shooting and poisoning. It is doubtful if any crocodiles remain in the lake today.
This stunning volcanic area is rapidly growing in tourism and it is now possible to stay at Lake Chala at the new camp on the Tanzanian side.