Lake Nakuru
Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley lakes, located at an elevation of 1,754 m (5,755 ft) above sea level. It lies to the south of Nakuru, in the rift valley of Kenya and is protected by Lake Nakuru National Park.
| Lake Nakuru | |
|---|---|
View of lake from Baboon cliff | |
Lake Nakuru | |
| Location | Rift valley |
| Coordinates | 0°22′S 36°05′E |
| Lake type | alkaline lake |
| Primary outflows | Lake Nakuru has no outflow. No rivers or cracks flowing out of Lake Nakuru |
| Basin countries | Kenya |
| Surface area | 5 to 45 km2 (1.9 to 17.4 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 1 foot (0.30 m) |
| Max. depth | 6 feet (1.8 m) |
| Surface elevation | 1,754 m (5,755 ft) |
| Frozen | Lake Nakuru is nestled in the vast great Rift Valley. The lake never freezes. |
Ramsar Wetland | |
| Designated | 5 June 1990 |
| Reference no. | 476 |
The lake's abundance of algae used to attract a vast quantity of flamingos that famously lined the shore. Other birds also flourish in the area, as do warthogs, baboons and other large mammals. Eastern black rhinos and southern white rhinos have also been introduced.
About 10,000 years ago, Lake Nakuru, together with neighboring Lake Elementaita and Lake Naivasha (60 km further south), formed one single, deep freshwater lake that eventually dried up, leaving the three lakes as remnants.
Water levels in Lake Nakuru have since varied considerably, with the lake almost drying up several times over the past 50 years. The latest significant drop happened in the early 1990s. In 2013, levels again increased rapidly, leading to the migration of many flamingos to Lake Bogoria in search of food supply. Between 2010 and 2020 Lake Nakuru increased in surface area from 40 to 68 square kilometres (15 to 26 sq mi). 677 households, parts of Nakuru town and some National Park areas had been flooded.
Nakuru means "Dust or Dusty Place" in the Maasai language. Lake Nakuru National Park, close to Nakuru town, was established in 1961. It started off small, only encompassing the famous lake and the surrounding mountainous vicinity, but has since been extended to include a large part of the savannahs.
Lake Nakuru is protected under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands.