89
(B) The second Ethiopian group consists of the
following relatively FW lakes situated at altitudes ranging from 1,283 to 1,285 m MSL:
6.6.6 Lake Abaya
Not much is known about this lake.
6.6.7 Lake Chamo
Less is known about this lake.
In addition to the above, there are small
Bishoftu group of small crater lakes which lie
further north on the edge of the rift. They vary
in maximum depth of 6.4 m (Lake Kilotes) to
87 m (Lake Bishoftu). There is large soda pan
of Lake Chew Bahir (earlier Lake Stephanie)
lying to the east of the Omo River. It drains the
Ethiopian highlands and feeds the Lake Turkana
(formerly Lake Rudolf).
6.6.8 Lake Nakuru
It is situated (0° 20′ S; 36° E; altitude 1,759 m;
lake area: variable but generally about 40 km
2 ;
lake volume: very much variable; max depth
about 2.8 m; mean depth very much variable;
principal infl ows Njoro and Nderit Rivers; outfl ow:
none) in Kenya in Africa. Its huge populations of
fl amingos and great variety of other birds have
made it the centrepiece of a National Park (NP)
and one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the
world. The amount of water in the lake and its
salinity, thus, depend on the drainage between
four factors given below:
Infl ow from the rivers which is infl uenced by
rainfall in the catchment
The amount of water diverted for human use
Input from the alkaline springs along the shores
Evaporative loss from the surface
Carbonates and bicarbonates, and not the chlorides, dominate the rainwater. The lake is
always more concentrated than most plants
and animals can tolerate. The water of Nakuru
contains no large plants in its normal conditions. However, a BGA, Spirulina platensis , is
found to be abundant. Other animals available
are a calanoid copepod and a small cichlid fi sh
( Oreochromis alcalicus grahami ), etc .
6.6.8.1 Other Rift Valley Soda Lakes
There are other Rift Valley soda lakes.
6.6.9 Lake Magadi
It is situated just north of the equator at 579 m
above MSL. It has an area of 95 km
2 . Here,
mean monthly temperature is >25 °C throughout the year and may reach 31 °C at the height
of the dry season. Maximum temperature could
be great deal higher. Rainfall exceeds evaporation from March to the middle of May. So, it
could be a small wonder that the lake often
may not contain any way water at all. The sediments of this lake form the second largest
expanse of solid matter (sodium carbonate and
its derivatives) in the world. They are commercially exploited for soda ash. An unusual number of >1 million lesser fl amingos nested here
in 1962.
6.6.10 Lake Natron
It has an area of 900 km
2
. It consists mainly of
soda fl ats covered by a shallow layer of highly
alkaline water fed by its one, large infl ow river.
6.6.11 Lake Manyara
It gives its name to a National Park (NP) which
extends along much of its western shore. But in
this case, it does not include the whole lake.
The lake level varies as in other soda lakes and
infl uences the vegetation and animals of the
NP. Extensive stretches of grassland develop
between the water’s edge and the forest when
the lake level is low. Settlement and forest
clearance have been increasing on top of the
escarpment about the NP. This has been leading to soil erosion and the rivers which have
6.6 Saline and Soda Lakes
(B) The second Ethiopian group consists of the
following relatively FW lakes situated at altitudes ranging from 1,283 to 1,285 m MSL:
6.6.6 Lake Abaya
Not much is known about this lake.
6.6.7 Lake Chamo
Less is known about this lake.
In addition to the above, there are small
Bishoftu group of small crater lakes which lie
further north on the edge of the rift. They vary
in maximum depth of 6.4 m (Lake Kilotes) to
87 m (Lake Bishoftu). There is large soda pan
of Lake Chew Bahir (earlier Lake Stephanie)
lying to the east of the Omo River. It drains the
Ethiopian highlands and feeds the Lake Turkana
(formerly Lake Rudolf).
6.6.8 Lake Nakuru
It is situated (0° 20′ S; 36° E; altitude 1,759 m;
lake area: variable but generally about 40 km
2 ;
lake volume: very much variable; max depth
about 2.8 m; mean depth very much variable;
principal infl ows Njoro and Nderit Rivers; outfl ow:
none) in Kenya in Africa. Its huge populations of
fl amingos and great variety of other birds have
made it the centrepiece of a National Park (NP)
and one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in the
world. The amount of water in the lake and its
salinity, thus, depend on the drainage between
four factors given below:
Infl ow from the rivers which is infl uenced by
rainfall in the catchment
The amount of water diverted for human use
Input from the alkaline springs along the shores
Evaporative loss from the surface
Carbonates and bicarbonates, and not the chlorides, dominate the rainwater. The lake is
always more concentrated than most plants
and animals can tolerate. The water of Nakuru
contains no large plants in its normal conditions. However, a BGA, Spirulina platensis , is
found to be abundant. Other animals available
are a calanoid copepod and a small cichlid fi sh
( Oreochromis alcalicus grahami ), etc .
6.6.8.1 Other Rift Valley Soda Lakes
There are other Rift Valley soda lakes.
6.6.9 Lake Magadi
It is situated just north of the equator at 579 m
above MSL. It has an area of 95 km
2 . Here,
mean monthly temperature is >25 °C throughout the year and may reach 31 °C at the height
of the dry season. Maximum temperature could
be great deal higher. Rainfall exceeds evaporation from March to the middle of May. So, it
could be a small wonder that the lake often
may not contain any way water at all. The sediments of this lake form the second largest
expanse of solid matter (sodium carbonate and
its derivatives) in the world. They are commercially exploited for soda ash. An unusual number of >1 million lesser fl amingos nested here
in 1962.
6.6.10 Lake Natron
It has an area of 900 km
2
. It consists mainly of
soda fl ats covered by a shallow layer of highly
alkaline water fed by its one, large infl ow river.
6.6.11 Lake Manyara
It gives its name to a National Park (NP) which
extends along much of its western shore. But in
this case, it does not include the whole lake.
The lake level varies as in other soda lakes and
infl uences the vegetation and animals of the
NP. Extensive stretches of grassland develop
between the water’s edge and the forest when
the lake level is low. Settlement and forest
clearance have been increasing on top of the
escarpment about the NP. This has been leading to soil erosion and the rivers which have
6.6 Saline and Soda Lakes