Lake Manyara

The lake is in a closed basin with no outflow. It is fed by underground springs and by several permanent streams and rivers that drain the surrounding Ngorongoro Highlands, but the vast majority of the inflow (over 99%) comes from rainfall.[7] The lake's depth and the area it covers fluctuates significantly.[7] At its maximum, during the wet season, the lake is 40 km wide by 15 km with a maximum depth of 3.7 m.[1] In 2010, a bathymetry survey showed the lake to have an average depth 0.81 m, and a maximum depth of about 1.18 m.[7] In extreme dry periods the surface area of the lake shrinks as the waters evaporate and at times the lake has dried up completely.[7] Lake Manyara is a soda or alkaline lake with a pH near 9.5,[8] and it is also high in dissolved salts. The water becomes increasingly brackish in the dry season as water evaporates and salts accumulate.[9] During dry spells, large areas of mud flats become exposed along the shore.[8] These alkaline flats sprout into grasslands, attracting grazing animals, including large herds of buffalo, wildebeest and zebra.[3]

The main fish species inhabiting the lake are catfish and tilapia.[9] There is a small fishery, but fish only tend to be found near the inflow areas, where salt concentrations are lower.[1] Lake Manyara is the type locality for the endangered fish Oreochromis amphimelas, a species of in the cichlid family, endemic to Tanzania, found in Lake Manyara and a number of other saline lakes with closed basins. Exploitation is prohibited in the parts of Lake Manyara within the National Park and the protected park areas provide important seed stock for the replenishment of fished populations.[10]

Lake Manyara National Park is known for flocks of thousands flamingos that feed along the edge of the lake in the wet season. At times, there have been over an estimated 2 million individuals of various species of water birds. The following table summarizes the most numerous species, according to the Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lake Manyara.[11]

Lake Manyara can be accessed through Lake Manyara National Park. With an entrance gate that doubles as an exit, the trail into the park is effectively a loop that can be traversed by jeep within a few hours. The trails goes through forests shrublands and marsh, before reaching the shore of the lake. The Rift Valley escarpment provides a spectacular backdrop.

From the nearby town of Mto wa Mbu, through the Cultural Tourism Programme, it is possible to organize a canoe trip on the lake, or a fishing trip to learn traditional fishing methods. Bicycle trips to the east shore of the lake can also be arraigned.[12]

• Lake Manyara at Tanzania Tourist Board (a government tourism agency)