Lake Kyoga
Encyclopedia
Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake
complex of Uganda
, about 1720 km² (664.1 sq mi) in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria
to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station
in Jinja. Another source of water is the Mount Elgon
region on the border between Uganda and Kenya
. While Lake Kyoga is part of Great Lakes system, it is not itself considered a Great Lake. Lake Kwania
is nearby.
The lake complex reaches a maximum depth at about 5.7 meters, and most of it is less than 4 m in depth. Areas less than 3 m deep are completely covered by water lilies
, while much of the swampy shoreline is covered with papyrus
and water hyacinth
. The papyrus also forms floating island
s that drift between a number of small permanent islands. Extensive wetlands fed by a complex system of streams and rivers surround the lakes. Lake Kwania
is a smaller lake but deeper.
46 species of fish
have been recorded in Lake Kyoga, and crocodile
s are numerous.
Excessive El Niño rains in 1997-1998 have resulted in exceptionally high water levels, causing large islands of papyrus and water hyacinth mats to become dislodged on the lake and to accumulate at the lake's outlet into the Victoria Nile. This blockage has caused the water level to become even higher, flooding about 580 km² of the surrounding land (DWD 2002) and resulting in population displacement and severe socioeconomic damage. In 2004, the Egypt
ian government granted Uganda a gift of 13 million USD to streamline the flow of the Nile at Lake Kyoga. , the outlet is still largely blocked.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
complex of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, about 1720 km² (664.1 sq mi) in area and at an elevation of 914 m. The Victoria Nile flows through the lake on its way from Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. The lake was named for Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, by John Hanning Speke, the first European to discover this lake....
to Lake Albert. The main inflow from Lake Victoria is regulated by the Nalubaale Power Station
Nalubaale Power Station
Nalubaale Power Station, often known by its old name, Owen Falls Dam, is a hydroelectric power station across the White Nile near to its source at Lake Victoria in Uganda...
in Jinja. Another source of water is the Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon
Mount Elgon is an extinct shield volcano on the border of Uganda and Kenya, north of Kisumu and west of Kitale.- Physical features :It is the oldest and largest solitary volcano in East Africa, covering an area of around 3500 km²....
region on the border between Uganda 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...
. While Lake Kyoga is part of Great Lakes system, it is not itself considered a Great Lake. Lake Kwania
Lake Kwania
Lake Kwania is in the Amolatar District and Apac District in Uganda. It is near or linked to Lake Kyoga and predominantly has fisheries. There are over 45 landings, although only 17 are officially recognized. Nile perch of up to 10 kg have been caught in gillnets...
is nearby.
Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaeaceae is a family of flowering plants. Members of this family are commonly called water lilies and live in freshwater areas in temperate and tropical climates around the world. The family contains eight genera. There are about 70 species of water lilies around the world. The genus...
, while much of the swampy shoreline is covered with papyrus
Papyrus
Papyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
and water hyacinth
Water hyacinth
The seven species of water hyacinth comprise the genus Eichhornia. Water hyacinth are a free-floating perennial aquatic plant native to tropical and sub-tropical South America. With broad, thick, glossy, ovate leaves, water hyacinth may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in...
. The papyrus also forms floating island
Floating island
A floating island is a mass of floating aquatic plants, mud, and peat ranging in thickness from a few inches to several feet. Floating islands are a common natural phenomenon that are found in many parts of the world. They exist less commonly as a man-made phenomenon...
s that drift between a number of small permanent islands. Extensive wetlands fed by a complex system of streams and rivers surround the lakes. Lake Kwania
Lake Kwania
Lake Kwania is in the Amolatar District and Apac District in Uganda. It is near or linked to Lake Kyoga and predominantly has fisheries. There are over 45 landings, although only 17 are officially recognized. Nile perch of up to 10 kg have been caught in gillnets...
is a smaller lake but deeper.
46 species of fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
have been recorded in Lake Kyoga, and crocodile
Crocodile
A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae . The term can also be used more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia: i.e...
s are numerous.
Excessive El Niño rains in 1997-1998 have resulted in exceptionally high water levels, causing large islands of papyrus and water hyacinth mats to become dislodged on the lake and to accumulate at the lake's outlet into the Victoria Nile. This blockage has caused the water level to become even higher, flooding about 580 km² of the surrounding land (DWD 2002) and resulting in population displacement and severe socioeconomic damage. In 2004, the Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian government granted Uganda a gift of 13 million USD to streamline the flow of the Nile at Lake Kyoga. , the outlet is still largely blocked.
External links
- Lakes and rivers in Uganda
- Lake Kyoga (World Lakes Database)
- Modelling Lake Kyoga (Environmental Impact Assessment Centre, Finland)