The Yala Swamp is a
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
region of about in Western
Kenya
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, national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"()
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, map_caption =
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, capital = Nairobi
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, largest_city = Nairobi
, ...
.
Location
The Yala Swamp at the mouth of the
Yala River
{{Infobox river
, name = Yala River
, image = YalaRiver.JPG
, image_size =
, image_caption = Yala river within Kakamega rainforest, western Kenya
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covers about along the northeastern shore of Lake Victoria.
The swamp contains the
Lake Kanyaboli
Lake Kanyaboli is a lake in the Yala Swamp in western Kenya. It is important as a refuge for fish species that have almost disappeared from Lake Victoria.
Location
The Yala Swamp at the mouth of the Yala River covers about along the northern s ...
, a freshwater deltaic wetland with an average depth of , which is fed by the floodwaters of the
Nzoia and Yala rivers and by the backflow of water from Lake Victoria.
The wetland is in
Siaya
Siaya is a town in Siaya County of Kenya. It is the capital of Siaya County. It is located northwest of Kisumu, the provincial capital. The urban center had a population of 33,153 in 2019.
Siaya municipality has five wards: Mjini, Siaya Central, ...
and
Busia counties in Kenya. It acts as a filter for waters that flow into
Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is one of the African Great Lakes. With a surface area of approximately , Lake Victoria is Africa's largest lake by area, the world's largest tropical lake, and the world's second-largest fresh water lake by surface area after ...
from two major rivers, the
Yala River
{{Infobox river
, name = Yala River
, image = YalaRiver.JPG
, image_size =
, image_caption = Yala river within Kakamega rainforest, western Kenya
, image_alt =
, map =
, map ...
and
Nzoia River
The Nzoia River is a Kenyan river, rising from Cherangany hills. It passes through Kapsara, Springer ,Moi's bridge then crosses to Kakamega county.It flows south and then west, eventually flowing into Lake Victoria near the town of Port Victoria. ...
.
It is sometimes considered the source of the Nile.
In the past the Yala River flowed through the eastern 20% of the Yala Swamp into Lake Kanyaboli, then into the main swamp, and then through a small gulf into Lake Victoria.
Today the eastern part of the swamp has been drained, and the river flows directly into the main swamp.
It is cut off from Lake Kanyaboli by a silt-clay dyke.
Lake Kanyaboli now receives its water from the surrounding catchment area and from back-seepage from the swamp.
The river's gulf has been cut off from the lake by a culvert, which created the
Lake Sare through back-flooding.
Ecology
The swamps harbour endangered fish species ''
Oreochromis esculentus
''Oreochromis esculentus'', the Singida tilapia or Graham's tilapia, is a species of cichlid endemic to the Lake Victoria basin, including some of its satellite lakes such as Kyoga, in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Its common name refers to ...
'' and ''
Oreochromis variabilis'' that have disappeared from Lake Victoria itself. The
sitatunga
The sitatunga or marshbuck (''Tragelaphus spekii'') is a swamp-dwelling antelope found throughout central Africa, centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, parts of Southern Sudan, Equatorial Guinea, ...
antelope (''Tragecephalus spekii'') still lives in the swamps’
papyrus
Papyrus ( ) is a material similar to thick paper that was used in ancient times as a writing surface. It was made from the pith of the papyrus plant, '' Cyperus papyrus'', a wetland sedge. ''Papyrus'' (plural: ''papyri'') can also refer to a ...
.
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
classifies the Yala Swamp among Kenya’s 60
Important Bird Area
An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations.
IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...
s. Some of the birds that live there are the
blue-breasted bee-eater, the
papyrus gonolek
The papyrus gonolek (''Laniarius mufumbiri'') is a species of bird in the family Malaconotidae. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.
It has specialised habitat requirements, being restr ...
, the
swamp flycatcher, the
papyrus canary
The papyrus canary (''Crithagra koliensis''), also known as Van Someren's canary, is a species of passerine bird in the finch family Fringillidae.
It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. I ...
, the
white-winged swamp warbler and the
Baillon's crake
Baillon's crake (''Zapornia pusilla''), also known as the marsh crake, is a small waterbird of the family Rallidae.
Distribution
Their breeding habitat is Cyperaceae, sedge beds in Europe, mainly in the east, and across the Palearctic. They used ...
.
A 2005 report noted changes in Lake Sare that threatened the lake ecosystem through eutrophication and pollution.
It recommended an inclusive management plan for the Yala swamp complex to prevent further degradation of the ecosystem.
As of 2019 BirdLife International scored the threat to the swamp complex as high, and was pessimistic about action being taken.
References
Sources
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External links
*Biodiversity and Sustainable Management of a Tropical Wetland Lake Ecosystem:A Case Study of Lake Kanyaboli, Kenya by Romulus Abila
more info at global responsea case study of the Yala swamp by Romulus Abila of Maseno University Kenya
{{Authority control
Wetlands of Kenya
Nature conservation in Kenya
Swamps of Africa