LAKES IN UGANDA
OVERVIEW
Uganda is the part of the African great lake’s region and almost the fifth of its surface area is covered by open water and swamp land. Lakes in Uganda are critical to the nation’s biodiversity and economy but their future is threatened by environmental issues of water pollution, water hyacinth invasion, over fishing, and unsustainable activities. African great lakes like Lake Victoria, lake albert and lake Edward are partly located in Uganda. These lakes all drain into the White Nile one of the two main tributaries of the Nile. Almost all of Uganda’s surface area lies within the Nile basin.
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is the Africa’s largest lake shared by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. Today Uganda is a home of 45% of the all lake with 68800 square kilometres and its waters are integral to the prosperity of millions of East Africans. It was named Lake Victoria by the explore John Hannington Speke, the lake had been a part of local legend long before Speke’s discovery in 1858. Speke claimed that Lake Victoria is the source the Nile.
Lake Victoria is a home of many mammal species including the hippocampus, the giant otter shrew, the marsh mongoose, reptiles like Nile crocodiles, the African helmeted turtle and many crustaceans plus 4 different species of fresh water crab. Lake Victoria also contains over 200 fish species and the haplochromine cichlid is the main endemic group, notorious Nile perch. In 1954, the colonial government introduced the predatory Nile perch upstream of Murchison falls to improve lake Victoria’s fisheries. Over the course of several decades the Nile perch has disrupted the natural balance of lake Victoria’s ecosystem.
A rapid decrease in the number of Algae-eating fish allowed algae to grow at a rapid rate in turn more districts fell to the deeper sections of the lake before being decomposed, reducing oxygen levels in the deeper water and forcing fish into a shallower section. There is also a risk of contracting Bilharzia, a tropical disease which caused by parasitic flatworms.
Lake Albert
Lake albert is located on the border of Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo and it is the second largest lake in Uganda, the seventh largest in Africa covering the area of 5,300 square kilometres with maximum length of 160km and a maximum width of 30km.
Lake albert is a home of many wildlife from Africa softshell turtles to uganda kob antelopes. The lake is a home of 55 fish species including the native Nile perch which is an invasive species in Lake Victoria. Albert is also inhabited by virous water birds. Lake albert is a great option to break up the journey between Murchison falls national park and Kampala or Entebbe. Visitors can visit the local fishing village and take in a stunning view or visit nearby wildlife reserve for game drives and fossil hunting.
Lake George
Lake George is located in south western uganda, western part of the great rift valley and the explorer Henry M. Stanley named it after King George v. It is a shallow lake with an average depth of around 2.4 metres, a surface area of 250 square kilometres and it is fed by various rivers and streams which flow from the Rwenzori mountains. Lake George drains into its larger neighbour lake Edward via kazinga channel which is 32 kilometres long freshwater channel considered as a key feature of queen Elizabeth national park. Lake George is a home of one world’s largest concentration of hippos.
Lake George is surrounded by wetland grass which is a home to a plethora of wildlife including over 150 species of birds, several mammals around the wetlands like elephant, sitatunga antelope and more others. Lake George is inhabitant of many fish species like Halochromic and Nile tilapia and it supports several fishing villages.
Lake Edward
Lake Edward is located on the border of uganda and the democratic republic of Congo and is shared by two countries. Lake Edward is the smallest in uganda and in African Great lakes and its northern shores is just few kilometres south of the equator. In 1888, the British explorer Henry Morton Stanley named the lake after the prince Albert Edward, the son of queen Victoria however in 1973, the Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada named it himself and the original name was reinstated after Amin’s overthrown in 1979.
Like lake George, lake Edward is designated as a Ramsar site due to the importance of its wetland habitant and it is visited by many species of migratory water birds and the lesser flamingo has been spotted several times.
The lake is inhabitant of many fish species like Nile tilapia and blue- spotted tilapia, there are several local fishing villages and Vitshumbi is the largest and at the banks of lake Edward you can spot elephants, chimpanzees, buffaloes and crocodile.
Lake Kyoga
Lake Kyoga is located in central uganda, it is shallow with 129km long which is part of the African great lakes system. The Victoria Nile flows through lake Kyoga on its journey from Lake Victoria to lake albert.
Lake Kyoga has many arms and its surface area is 1720 square kilometres relatively shallow and its maximum depth is around 5.7 metres. Lake Kyoga is separated into 3 sections that is the open water is deeper than 3 metres, the shallow water is covered by water lilies and the swampy shoreline is almost completely covered by papyrus and the invasive water hyacinth.
Lake Kyoga contains 46 fish species, Nile crocodile which can reach up to 5 metres in length and has suffered in the aftermath of introduction of the invasive Nile perch in 1950s, over the course of several decades, the Nile perch has distributed the natural balance of lake Kyoga’s ecosystem. Lake Kyoga is a great place to unwind via fishing or a long nature walk around Nyero rock paintings just 12km from lake Kyoga. The Nyero rock paintings are one of the most important rock art sites in uganda.
Lake Mburo
Lake Mburo national park is located in Kiruhura district in western region of Uganda in lake Mburo national parkland is virtually equidistant between Bwindi impenetrable national park and Entebbe. The park contains 68 mammal species, several of which are endemic
Lake Mburo is the largest of five lakes found in lake Mburo national park with 13 square kilometres alongside 13 lakes in the surrounding area. Lake Mburo is part of a wetland system which stretches across 50km and lake Mburo national park covers 260 square kilometres but 20% of the park is formed of wetland habitants including lakes and marshland though the park is also contains other rich habitats such as grassland and acacia woodland
Boat safaris are great way to explore the wonders of lake Mburo, a one and a half hours morning boat safaris takes you along the shores of lake Mburo. You can see buffalos, hippos, kingfishers, fish eagles and hamerkops depending on the lack of the day.
Lake katwe
Lake katwe happens to be a salty water lake. Lake katwe is located in western uganda in queen Elizabeth national park. The lake water is served by streams with no outlet hence making it salty lake with intense evaporation on dry season and have got a concentration of minerals in the hyper saline water. The main activity on this lake is salt mining where this salt was also exported to Congo and Rwanda before salt was discovered in other parts of east Africa.
Lake Bunyonyi
Lake Bunyonyi is located in south western Uganda between Kabale and Kisoro districts. Bunyonyi’s breath taking views make it the perfect place to wind down after Gorilla trekking in Bwindi national park. Its maximum depth is around 40 metres and extends northwards for 25km and its maximum width is 5km.
Lake Bunyonyi is one of the safest lakes in Africa, there is no crocodiles, hippos and there is no risk of bilharzia. The word Bunyonyi means the little birds and the lake is a home 200 bird species which makes it a great spot to see weaver colonies and the surrounding marshlands also support a good variety of water birds, large favourites are grey crowned crane, herons, egrets and among others.
The lake is also containing an exciting range of marine life including the African clawless otter and the spotted necked otter. Swimming is a great way to explore and immerse yourself in the environment. Alternatively, you can also explore the 29 islands at lake Bunyonyi through the glistening waters in dugout canoe and soak up the beautiful scenery and also long nature walks at Bunyonyi are a therapeutic experience and there several trails to choose from plus visiting a fantastic community walk in surrounding villages.
Lake kwania
Lake kwania is located in lira district in northern region and one of the lakes in Uganda that covers about 540 square kilometres, the lake has the large part if wetland which is situated along the White Nile between Lake Victoria and lake Albert.
Lake Nabugabo
Lake Nabugabo is one of the smallest fresh water bodies found in the country located in Masaka district with in the central region of Uganda and it is known to be a satellite lake of Lake Victoria because it is about 4 kilometres away from the shores of Lake Victoria.
Lake Nabugabo is a good place for birding safari in Uganda where you can sight kingfishers, grey crowned crane, broad billed roller, Ross turaco and many others. There is also some of the animals that live near this lake which include vervet monkeys, monitor lizards, squirrels, duikers and among others.
Lake Wamala
Lake Wamala is famously known to be a traditional lake and cultural significance to the people of Buganda in central region of Uganda. Lake Wamala contains fresh water whereby its wetlands act as good natural habitats to many birds such as sitatunga which is commonly known as ‘enjobe’ in Luganda language and this lake covers a total surface area of about 250 square kilometres.
Lake Opeta
Lake Opeta is a seasonal lake thought to be part of lake Kyoga covered by papyrus swamp and water-logged savannah where it is a home of largest colonies of the papyrus gonolek, shoebill stock, fox’s weaver, Rufus bellied heron and also few antelope species like sitatunga.
Lake Bisina
Lake Bisina is located in eastern Uganda and was formed called lake Salisbury. It is long and narrow where fishing is the main activity by the local communities in eastern Uganda and great birding site. You can have a great chance of spotting papyrus endemic gonolek, fox’s weaver, shoebill stock, pygmy goose, lesser jacana and white winged warbler among others depending on the luck of the day.
However, apart from the above-mentioned lakes there are other lakes in Uganda that a tourist can visit while in the country and these are kabaka’s lake, lake mutanda, lake Nakivali, lake Ruhondo, lake Kayumba, lake Kachera, lake Budongo, lake Bujuku, lake Buhera, lake Lyantonde, lake Karegye, lake Kachira, lake saka, and kaitabarogo in fort portal and more others.