Lake Bogoria National Reserve

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Lake Bogoria National Reserve

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Flamingos and geyser at Lake Bogoria
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Location of Lake Bogoria National Reserve
Location Rift Valley Province, Kenya
Coordinates 0°15′N36°06′E / 0.25°N 36.1°E / 0.25; 36.1 Coordinates: 0°15′N36°06′E / 0.25°N 36.1°E / 0.25; 36.1
Area 107 square kilometres (41 sq mi)
Established November 1970
Governing body Kenya Wildlife Service

Lake Bogoria National Reserve is in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, covering Lake Bogoria and the land immediately surrounding the lake. It is administered by the Kenya Wildlife Service. [1]

Great Rift Valley, Kenya

The Great Rift Valley is part of an intra-continental ridge system that runs through Kenya from north to south. It is part of the Gregory Rift, the eastern branch of the East African Rift, which starts in Tanzania to the south and continues northward into Ethiopia. It was formed on the "Kenyan Dome" a geographical upwelling created by the interactions of three major tectonics: the Arabian, Nubian, and Somalian plates. In the past, it was seen as part of a "Great Rift Valley" that ran from Madagascar to Syria. Most of the valley falls within the former Rift Valley Province.

Lake Bogoria meromictic lake

Lake Bogoria is a saline, alkaline lake that lies in a volcanic region in a half-graben basin south of Lake Baringo, Kenya, a little north of the equator. Lake Bogoria, like Lake Nakuru, Lake Elmenteita, and Lake Magadi further south in the Rift Valley, and Lake Logipi to the north, is home at times to one of the world's largest populations of lesser flamingos. The lake is a Ramsar site and Lake Bogoria National Reserve has been a protected National Reserve since November 29, 1973. Lake Bogoria is shallow, and is about 34 km long by 3.5 km wide, with a drainage basin of 700 km2.

The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) is a Kenyan state corporation that was established in 1989 to conserve and manage Kenya’s wildlife. It is established under an Act of Parliament Cap 376 with the mandate to conserve and manage wildlife in Kenya, and to enforce related laws and regulations. It manages the biodiversity of the country, protecting and conserving the flora and fauna.

Contents

Location

The lake lies in a trough below the Ngendelel Escarpment, a sheer wall 600 metres (2,000 ft) high. The lake covers 32 square kilometres (12 sq mi). [2] It is geothermically active on the western shore, with geysers and hot springs. [3] The geologist J.W. Gregory described the lake in 1892 as "the most beautiful view in Africa". [4]

The reserve is in a semi-arid area. The only major river feeding the lake is the Waseges River, which rises on the northern slopes of the Aberdare Range. The Waseges runs through productive agricultural land higher up, through bush and scrub used for grazing, and then through very dry bush before entering the lake at its northern end. [5] The lake is surrounded by grasslands dotted with bushes. There is acacia-ficus woodland to the south, and the north merges into a papyrus swamp. [1]

Waseges River river in Kenya

The Waseges River is a river that rises on the slopes of the Nyandarua Plateau below the Aberdare Range in Kenya. The river flows north, then west and south to enter Lake Bogoria in the Great Rift Valley from the north after passing through a swamp. In 2002 rubies were found in the region of the Waseges River.

Aberdare Range mountain range

The Aberdare Range is a 160 km long mountain range of upland, north of Kenya's capital Nairobi with an average elevation of 3,500 metres (11,480 ft). It is located in Nyandarua County, west central Kenya, northeast of Naivasha and Gilgil and just south of the Equator. The mountain range is called Nyandarua among the Agikuyu people in whose territory this forest and mountain range is located. The name Nyandarua means a drying hide due to the distinctive fold of its silhouette.

The park was opened in November 1970. Facilities for tourists include the park lodge, three public campsites and one privately operated campsite. Visitors may also bathe in the hot springs, which form a natural spa. [6] The reserve was submitted as a candidate World Heritage Site in 1999. [5]

World Heritage Site place listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or natural significance

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area which is selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance, and is legally protected by international treaties. The sites are judged important to the collective interests of humanity.

Ecology

The lake is alkaline, feeding blue-green algae which in turn feed flamingoes. At times the number of flamingoes feeding in the lake may be as high as two million. [5] Raptors such as tawny eagles prey on the flamingoes. [2] In total, 135 species of bird have been recorded. They include little grebe, pratincole, swift, little bee-eater, cape wigeon, yellow-billed stork, African spoonbill, augur buzzard, gabar goshawk, water dikkop, great tit, starling, hornbill and crombec. [1]

The reserve has a herd of the relatively uncommon Greater Kudu. Other large mammals include buffalo, zebra, cheetah, baboon, warthog, caracal, spotted hyena, impala and dik dik. [1]

The Waseges flows through regions of intensive coffee cultivation where heavy use is made of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which may be polluting the lake. Many visitors are attracted to the hot springs on the western lakeshore, and these cause pollution from solid wastes. Siltation is another threat to biodiversity. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Lake Bogoria - Kenya Wildlife.
  2. 1 2 Williams 2005, p. 61.
  3. ↑ Williams 2005, p. 64.
  4. ↑ Lake Bogoria - AfricaPoint.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Lake Bogoria UNESCO.
  6. ↑ Lake Bororia - ThinkQuest.

Sources

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