Swelling of Rift Valley lakes periodic, explains warden

The rise in water levels of Rift Valley lakes is expected to continue for a few years, a Lake Nakuru National Park official has said.

The rise, to about three metres in some lakes, has affected wildlife habitat, forcing the animals out of the shores.

Shallow-rooted acacia trees and other vegetation that provide food for giraffes and other herbivores have been uprooted.

Some game park staff have had to move as their offices are flooded.

A senior warden at Lake Nakuru National Park, Mr Dickson Ritan, Tuesday said the swelling of the lake was not unusual as it occurred after some time.

“The lake’s current capacity is nothing new,” he said. “It is a cyclic event witnessed throughout history.”

Water levels in all lakes in Rift Valley have risen since 2011, due to the earth’s tectonic movements, according to Mr Ritan.

He said Lake Nakuru overflew every 50 years and the current high level was not unusual.

EXPANDED SHORELINE

Researchers have tried to explain the situation, attributing it to increased rainfall, siltation, underground geological shifts, pollution and climatic factors.

The swelling shores, however, have not affected the number of visitors in the park.

For gazelles and buffaloes at the park, the expanded shoreline has made water points closer, a relief from afternoon heat that is typical of the savannah.
That also makes it easier for tourists to see the animals.

Other affected lakes in the region include Naivasha, Elementaita, Bogoria, Baringo, and Logipi.