Lake Kamnarok is a seasonal lake and the only ex-bow lake in

Kenya ) , national_anthem = " Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi ...

, at the base of the

Kerio Valley Kerio Valley lies between the Tugen Hills and the Elgeyo Escarpment in Kenya. It sits at an elevation of 1,000 meters in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya, Great Rift Valley. Geography The isolated Kerio Valley is situated in a narrow, long strip that ...

. The name originated from the

Kalenjin Kalenjin may refer to: * Kalenjin people The Kalenjin are a group of tribes designated as Highland Nilotes and are descended from Maliri people ''(thus related to Daasanach of Ethiopia.)'' The Kalenjin are cousins with Datooga people of Tan ...

word ''Narok'', which is used to refer to a species of water plant that was widely found in the lake. Thick mash surrounds the lake, making accessibility challenging. The lake occupies an area of approximately 1 km² however being a seasonal lake, the size may at times be much smaller. It was in existence before 1961 but the flood rains of that year led to its enlargement. The flooding disaster saw people living in the area being evacuated in order to save lives. Helicopters were used during the evacuation exercise to airlift people to the higher ground of Maab Konga - a hill near Muchukwo trading centre. The lake was

gazetted A gazette is an official journal, a newspaper of record, or simply a newspaper. In English and French speaking countries, newspaper publishers have applied the name ''Gazette'' since the 17th century; today, numerous weekly and daily newspapers ...

in 1984, when Lake Kamnarok Game Reserve was created. This is the home of 500 elephants. Like other

Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley is a series of contiguous geographic trenches, approximately in total length, that runs from Lebanon in Asia to Mozambique in Southeast Africa. While the name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it ...

lakes, its existence is threatened, mainly because of farming activities in the area. There are deep gullies that are likely to lead to spilling of the water, thus joining it with the

Kerio River The Kerio River is a river in Turkana County, Kenya. It flows northward into Lake Turkana. It is one of the longest rivers in Kenya, originating near the equator. Course The Kerio River rises on the north slopes of the Amasya Hills to the west ...

. A few measures have been taken to save the lake, including the building of

gabion A gabion (from Italian ''gabbione'' meaning "big cage"; from Italian ''gabbia'' and Latin ''cavea'' meaning "cage") is a cage, cylinder or box filled with rocks, concrete, or sometimes sand and soil for use in civil engineering, road buildin ...

s. The

tributaries A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainag ...

that feed Lake Kamnarok include the rivers Ketipborok, Cheplogoi, Oiwo and Lelabei.

References

Lakes of the Great Rift Valley Lakes of Kenya Oxbow lakes {{Kenya-geo-stub