Lake Kyoga

Lake Kyoga is a large shallow lake complex of Uganda, about 1,720 km² in area and at an elevation of 914 m. 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 Great Lakes system, it is not itself considered a Great Lake. The lake complex is nowhere deeper than about 5.7 meters, and most of it is less than 4m in depth. Areas less than 3 m deep are completely covered by water lilies, while much of swampy shoreline is covered with papyrus and 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. 46 species of fish have been recorded in Lake Kyoga, and crocodiles are numerous.