Elmenteita is derived from the Maasai word muteita, meaning "dust place", a reference to the dryness and dustiness of the area, especially between January and March. The town of Gilgil is near the lake. In the south-to-north sequence of Rift Valley lakes, Elmenteita is between Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru. The major Nairobi-Nakuru highway (A104 Road) runs along the nearby escarpment affording motorists a spectacular vista towards the lake. Today the lake is a protected area due to its bird life, and has been named as an UNESCO heritage site together with Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria.
The Lake Elmenteita area saw its first white settlement when Lord Delamere (1879-1931) established Soysambu, a 190-square-kilometre (48,000-acre) ranch, on the western side of the lake. Delamere gifted the land on the other side of the lake to his brother-in-law, the Honorable Galbraith Lowry Egerton Cole (1881-1929), part of whose "Kekopey Ranch", where he is buried, is preserved today as the Lake Elementaita Lodge.
Soysambu ranch is still occupied by Lord Delamere's descendants, including the controversial[why?]Thomas Cholmondeley who has been instrumental in setting up the Soysambu conservancy. The conservancy covers 2/3 of the shoreline and is home to over 12000 wild animals.
Over 400 bird species have been recorded in the Lake Nakuru/Lake Elmenteita basin. Elmenteita attracts visiting flamingoes, both the greater and lesser varieties, which feed on the lake's crustacean and insect larvae and on its suspended blue-green algae, respectively. Lake Magadi tilapia were introduced to the lake from Lake Magadi in 1962 and since that time the flamingo population has dwindled considerably. The tilapia attract many fish-eating birds that also feed upon the flamingo eggs and chicks. Over a million birds that formerly bred at Elmenteita are now said to have sought refuge at Lake Natron in Tanzania.
The lake is normally very shallow (less than 1 m deep) and bordered by trona-encrusted mudflats during the dry seasons. During the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, Lake Elmenteita was at times united with an expanded Lake Nakuru, forming a much larger dilute lake. Remnants of the former joined lake are preserved as sediments at various locations around the lake basins, including former shorelines.
Recently the lake level and number of flamingoes has receded as increased human activity has dried up catchment areas.[4]
Associated sites
Nearby is the Kariandusi Museum, at an important prehistoric site where stone handaxes and cleavers were discovered in 1928 by Louis Leakey.
Elmenteita Badlands is a lava flow to the south of the lake, covered in bush and including some spectacularly scenic peaks.
References
^"Lake Elmenteita". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
^Scoon, Roger N. (2018), "Lakes of the Gregory Rift Valley: Baringo, Bogoria, Nakuru, Elmenteita, Magadi, Manyara and Eyasi", Geology of National Parks of Central/Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania, Springer International Publishing, pp. 167–180, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73785-0_15, ISBN978-3-319-73784-3
^Peck, Dwight (17 September 2005). . The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. Archived from the original on November 14, 2008. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
^Daily Nation, December 8, 2009: A lake lies on its deathbed
March 06, 2023
lake, elmenteita, soda, lake, great, rift, valley, about, northwest, nairobi, kenya, show, kenyashow, africacoordinates0, coordinates, 250basin, countrieskenyasurface, area18, surface, elevation1, aslramsar, wetlanddesignated5, september, 2005reference, 1498, . Lake Elmenteita is a soda lake in the Great Rift Valley about 120 km northwest of Nairobi Kenya 2 Lake ElmenteitaLake ElmenteitaShow map of KenyaLake ElmenteitaShow map of AfricaCoordinates0 27 S 36 15 E 0 450 S 36 250 E 0 450 36 250 Coordinates 0 27 S 36 15 E 0 450 S 36 250 E 0 450 36 250Basin countriesKenyaSurface area18 km2 6 9 sq mi Surface elevation1 670 m 5 480 ft ASLRamsar WetlandDesignated5 September 2005Reference no 1498 1 Contents 1 Geography 2 History 3 Ecology 4 Associated sites 5 ReferencesGeography Edit Lake Elmenteita from the Nairobi Nakuru highway Elmenteita is derived from the Maasai word muteita meaning dust place a reference to the dryness and dustiness of the area especially between January and March The town of Gilgil is near the lake In the south to north sequence of Rift Valley lakes Elmenteita is between Lake Naivasha and Lake Nakuru The major Nairobi Nakuru highway A104 Road runs along the nearby escarpment affording motorists a spectacular vista towards the lake Today the lake is a protected area due to its bird life and has been named as an UNESCO heritage site together with Lake Nakuru and Lake Bogoria At the southern end of the lake are the Kekopey hot springs in which an introduced fish the Lake Magadi tilapia breed The reed beds nearby are fishing grounds for night herons and pelicans Lake Elmenteita as seen from space History EditThe Lake Elmenteita area saw its first white settlement when Lord Delamere 1879 1931 established Soysambu a 190 square kilometre 48 000 acre ranch on the western side of the lake Delamere gifted the land on the other side of the lake to his brother in law the Honorable Galbraith Lowry Egerton Cole 1881 1929 part of whose Kekopey Ranch where he is buried is preserved today as the Lake Elementaita Lodge Soysambu ranch is still occupied by Lord Delamere s descendants including the controversial why Thomas Cholmondeley who has been instrumental in setting up the Soysambu conservancy The conservancy covers 2 3 of the shoreline and is home to over 12000 wild animals Lake Elmenteita has been a Ramsar site since 2005 3 Ecology EditOver 400 bird species have been recorded in the Lake Nakuru Lake Elmenteita basin Elmenteita attracts visiting flamingoes both the greater and lesser varieties which feed on the lake s crustacean and insect larvae and on its suspended blue green algae respectively Lake Magadi tilapia were introduced to the lake from Lake Magadi in 1962 and since that time the flamingo population has dwindled considerably The tilapia attract many fish eating birds that also feed upon the flamingo eggs and chicks Over a million birds that formerly bred at Elmenteita are now said to have sought refuge at Lake Natron in Tanzania The lake s shores are grazed by zebra gazelle eland and families of warthog The lake is normally very shallow less than 1 m deep and bordered by trona encrusted mudflats during the dry seasons During the late Pleistocene and early Holocene Lake Elmenteita was at times united with an expanded Lake Nakuru forming a much larger dilute lake Remnants of the former joined lake are preserved as sediments at various locations around the lake basins including former shorelines Recently the lake level and number of flamingoes has receded as increased human activity has dried up catchment areas 4 Associated sites EditNearby is the Kariandusi Museum at an important prehistoric site where stone handaxes and cleavers were discovered in 1928 by Louis Leakey Elmenteita Badlands is a lava flow to the south of the lake covered in bush and including some spectacularly scenic peaks References Edit Lake Elmenteita Ramsar Sites Information Service Retrieved 25 April 2018 Scoon Roger N 2018 Lakes of the Gregory Rift Valley Baringo Bogoria Nakuru Elmenteita Magadi Manyara and Eyasi Geology of National Parks of Central Southern Kenya and Northern Tanzania Springer International Publishing pp 167 180 doi 10 1007 978 3 319 73785 0 15 ISBN 978 3 319 73784 3 Peck Dwight 17 September 2005 Lake Elmenteita added to the Ramsar List The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands Archived from the original on November 14 2008 Retrieved 2009 04 19 Daily Nation December 8 2009 A lake lies on its deathbed Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lake Elmenteita amp oldid 1083872601, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
