Lake Kyoga (literally 'the place of bathing' in Runyoro language) is a large shallow lake in Uganda, about 1,720 km2 (660 sq mi)[1] in area and at an elevation of 1,033 metres.[2] 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 the African Great Lakes system, it is not itself considered a great lake.
Lake Kyoga
2002 NASAMODIS satellite picture. White spots are clouds.
Rivers and lakes of Uganda. Click image to enlarge.
The lake reaches a depth of about 5.7 metres, and most of it is less than 4 metres deep. Areas that are less than 3 metres deep are completely covered by water lilies, while much of the swampy shoreline is covered with papyrus and the invasive water hyacinth. The papyrus also forms floating islands that drift between a number of small permanent islands. Extensive wetlands fed by a complex system of streams and rivers surround the lakes. Nearby Lake Kwania is a smaller lake but deeper.
Nile crocodiles are numerous, as is aquatic fauna. There are at least 60 haplochromine cichlid species, as well as a smaller number of other fish species like Lake Victoria sardine and marbled lungfish. Many of the haplochromine cichlids are endemic, but very closely related to the Lake Victoria species,[3][4] and showing a similar level of diversity in terms of feeding.[5] The Kyoga cichlids include both described species like Haplochromis latifasciatus and H. worthingtoni, and undescribed like H. sp. "Kyoga flameback" and H. sp. "ruby".[6] As in Lake Victoria, the Kyoga cichlids have been decimated by the introduced Nile perch and some species are already extinct. Because Kyoga generally is shallow and swampy, some subsections—"satellite lakes"—are isolated to various degrees from the main lake. The number of surviving haplochromine cichlids in each subsection is directly related to the status of the Nile perch. Despite being the largest by far, less than 50 haplochromine species survive in the main section where the Nile perch is common. In comparison, the much smaller satellite lakes Lemwa, Nyaguo and Nawampasa lack Nile perch, but at least 50 haplochromine species survive in each of the first two, and at least 60 in the last. Conversely, the small satellite lakes Nakuwa and Nyasala where Nile perch is abundant have less than 30 and 5 surviving haplochromines respectively.[3][4] This also means that fishing in the Lake Kyoga system has gradually shifted from once targeting many native species, to now primarily targeting the native Lake Victoria sardine, the introduced Nile perch and introduced Nile tilapia[7] (the two native tilapias, the Singida and Victoria, have become very rare, except in some satellite lakes).[4] In 2006, only 4% of catches were haplochromine cichlids.[7]
References
^ ab. World Lakes Database. 1999. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
^ abGreen, J. (2009). "The Kyoga Catchment". In H.J. Dumont (ed.). The Nile. Monographiae Biologicae. Vol. 89. Springer Science + Business Media B.V. pp. 205–214. ISBN978-1-4020-9725-6.
^ abcMwanja, W.W.; A.S. Armoudlian; S.B. Wandera; L. Kaufman; L. Wu; G.C. Booton; P.A. Fuerst (2001). "The bounty of minor lakes: the role of small satellite water bodies in evolution and conservation of fishes in the Lake Victoria Region, East Africa". Hydrobiologia. 458 (1): 55–62. doi:10.1023/A:1013167725047. S2CID 6439470.
^Mbabazi, D.; R. Ogutu-Ohwayo; S.B. Wandera; Y. Kiziito (2004). "Fish species and trophic diversity of haplochromine cichlids in the Kyoga satellite lakes (Uganda)". African Journal of Ecology. 42 (1): 59–68. doi:10.1111/j.0141-6707.2004.00492.x.
^Bauman, K. "African Cichlids from the Lake Victoria basin". Retrieved 25 September 2019.
^ abWitte, F.; M. de Graaf; O.C. Mkumbo; A.I. El-Moghraby; F.A. Sibbing (2009). "Fisheries in the Nile System". In H.J. Dumont (ed.). The Nile. Monographiae Biologicae. Vol. 89. Springer Science + Business Media B.V. pp. 723–748. ISBN978-1-4020-9725-6.
DWD (2002) El Niño preparedness for Lake Kyoga and other flood prone areas of Uganda. Directorate of Water Development. Ministry of Water, Lands and Environment, Entebbe, Uganda.
ILM (2004) Support to the Management of Sudd Blockage on Lake Kyoga. Produced for the Integrated Lake Management Project by Environmental Impact Assessment Centre of Finland, EIA Ltd. ()
Twongo, T. (2001) The Fisheries and environment of Kyoga Lakes. Fisheries Resources Research Institute (FIRRI), Jinja, Uganda.
External links
Lakes and rivers in Uganda
(World Lakes Database)
May 05, 2023
lake, kyoga, literally, place, bathing, runyoro, language, large, shallow, lake, uganda, about, area, elevation, metres, victoria, nile, flows, through, lake, from, lake, victoria, lake, albert, main, inflow, from, lake, victoria, regulated, nalubaale, power, . Lake Kyoga literally the place of bathing in Runyoro language is a large shallow lake in Uganda about 1 720 km2 660 sq mi 1 in area and at an elevation of 1 033 metres 2 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 the African Great Lakes system it is not itself considered a great lake Lake Kyoga2002 NASA MODIS satellite picture White spots are clouds Lake KyogaCoordinates1 30 N 33 0 E 1 500 N 33 000 E 1 500 33 000 Coordinates 1 30 N 33 0 E 1 500 N 33 000 E 1 500 33 000TypePolymicticBasin LakesPrimary inflowsVictoria NilePrimary outflowsVictoria NileCatchment area75 000 km2 29 000 sq mi Basin countriesUgandaMax length200 km 120 mi Surface area1 720 km2 660 sq mi Max depth5 7 m 19 ft Surface elevation1 033 m 3 389 ft SettlementsSorotiReferences 1 2 Rivers and lakes of Uganda Click image to enlarge The lake reaches a depth of about 5 7 metres and most of it is less than 4 metres deep Areas that are less than 3 metres deep are completely covered by water lilies while much of the swampy shoreline is covered with papyrus and the invasive water hyacinth The papyrus also forms floating islands that drift between a number of small permanent islands Extensive wetlands fed by a complex system of streams and rivers surround the lakes Nearby Lake Kwania is a smaller lake but deeper Fauna and fishing Edit Haplochromis latifasciatus is one of the many cichlid species found only in the Lake Kyoga system Nile crocodiles are numerous as is aquatic fauna There are at least 60 haplochromine cichlid species as well as a smaller number of other fish species like Lake Victoria sardine and marbled lungfish Many of the haplochromine cichlids are endemic but very closely related to the Lake Victoria species 3 4 and showing a similar level of diversity in terms of feeding 5 The Kyoga cichlids include both described species like Haplochromis latifasciatus and H worthingtoni and undescribed like H sp Kyoga flameback and H sp ruby 6 As in Lake Victoria the Kyoga cichlids have been decimated by the introduced Nile perch and some species are already extinct Because Kyoga generally is shallow and swampy some subsections satellite lakes are isolated to various degrees from the main lake The number of surviving haplochromine cichlids in each subsection is directly related to the status of the Nile perch Despite being the largest by far less than 50 haplochromine species survive in the main section where the Nile perch is common In comparison the much smaller satellite lakes Lemwa Nyaguo and Nawampasa lack Nile perch but at least 50 haplochromine species survive in each of the first two and at least 60 in the last Conversely the small satellite lakes Nakuwa and Nyasala where Nile perch is abundant have less than 30 and 5 surviving haplochromines respectively 3 4 This also means that fishing in the Lake Kyoga system has gradually shifted from once targeting many native species to now primarily targeting the native Lake Victoria sardine the introduced Nile perch and introduced Nile tilapia 7 the two native tilapias the Singida and Victoria have become very rare except in some satellite lakes 4 In 2006 only 4 of catches were haplochromine cichlids 7 References Edit a b Lake Kyoga World Lakes Database 1999 Archived from the original on 4 February 2015 Retrieved 4 February 2015 a b Lake Kyoga at the Encyclopaedia Britannica a b Green J 2009 The Kyoga Catchment In H J Dumont ed The Nile Monographiae Biologicae Vol 89 Springer Science Business Media B V pp 205 214 ISBN 978 1 4020 9725 6 a b c Mwanja W W A S Armoudlian S B Wandera L Kaufman L Wu G C Booton P A Fuerst 2001 The bounty of minor lakes the role of small satellite water bodies in evolution and conservation of fishes in the Lake Victoria Region East Africa Hydrobiologia 458 1 55 62 doi 10 1023 A 1013167725047 S2CID 6439470 Mbabazi D R Ogutu Ohwayo S B Wandera Y Kiziito 2004 Fish species and trophic diversity of haplochromine cichlids in the Kyoga satellite lakes Uganda African Journal of Ecology 42 1 59 68 doi 10 1111 j 0141 6707 2004 00492 x Bauman K African Cichlids from the Lake Victoria basin Retrieved 25 September 2019 a b Witte F M de Graaf O C Mkumbo A I El Moghraby F A Sibbing 2009 Fisheries in the Nile System In H J Dumont ed The Nile Monographiae Biologicae Vol 89 Springer Science Business Media B V pp 723 748 ISBN 978 1 4020 9725 6 DWD 2002 El Nino preparedness for Lake Kyoga and other flood prone areas of Uganda Directorate of Water Development Ministry of Water Lands and Environment Entebbe Uganda ILM 2004 Support to the Management of Sudd Blockage on Lake Kyoga Produced for the Integrated Lake Management Project by Environmental Impact Assessment Centre of Finland EIA Ltd online PDF version Twongo T 2001 The Fisheries and environment of Kyoga Lakes Fisheries Resources Research Institute FIRRI Jinja Uganda External links EditLakes and rivers in Uganda Lake Kyoga World Lakes Database Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Lake Kyoga amp oldid 1113325335, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
