Lake Bogoria is situated 3,200 feet (975 m) above sea level in the Great Rift Valley, east of the Kamasia (Ilkamasya) Hills. The lake has an area of 50 square miles (129 square km), is 11 miles (18 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, and has an average depth of 17 feet (5 m). A freshwater lake with no visible outlet, its waters seep into lavas at its northern end, where a rocky shore contrasts with the alluvial flat on its southern border.
Lake Bogoria is backed by the bleak Siracho Escarpment, and moss-green waves roll down its rocky, barren shores. A road that becomes a rough track (and then peters out entirely) runs along the lake’s western shore, which is where flamingos gather. About halfway along the lake, hot springs and geysers spew boiling fluids from the earth’s insides.
A great variety of birds inhabit the lake, which is also home to hippopotamuses and crocodiles. The birds feed on algae blooms and cope in extreme conditions with minimal competition for food, which makes Rift Valley’s salty wetlands superb where massive flocks thrive.
The lake has enjoyed serenity with less impact on siltation. The only challenge, however, lies in the drying up of the main tributary, River Weseges during the dry season. The lake has aggressively over time defined tourism within the Kenya Lake System and has recorded an increase in flamingos despite the rise in water levels that led to a reduction of bird species in Lake Nakuru.
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