Lake Nakuru is a very shallow alkaline lake located in Kenya’s rift valley, with a surface area of 44 km2 and an average depth of 2.5 meters. The Lake is fed by one permanent river (Ngosur) and four seasonal rivers (Njoro, Nderit, Makalia and Lamudhiak), with a total catchment area of 1,800 km2. The flamingos that give Lake Nakuru its distinctive pink shoreline are a major biodiversity and tourism resource for Kenya, with over 300,000 local and foreign holiday makers visiting the site each year. A completed fenced national park of 90 km2 surrounds Lake Nakuru, providing a habitat to a number of threatened species, including the Black Rhino. Since 1990 the lake has been designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance. However, the lake is threatened by inflows from a number of pollutants and the level of the lake fluctuates: when it is low the flamingos move elsewhere, leading to less tourists.
Publication year
2006
Authors
Language
English
Keywords
flowers, forests, water balance, water management
Geographic
Kenya
