Uganda Atlas of Our Changing Environment - GRID-Arendal
Uganda Atlas of Our Changing Environment - GRID-Arendal
Uganda Atlas of Our Changing Environment - GRID-Arendal
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Aerial view <strong>of</strong> Kabale-Iyamuriro wetland<br />
Lake Bunyonyi<br />
The lake was formed due to a combination <strong>of</strong> intense<br />
rifting and back tilting <strong>of</strong> the landscape by earth<br />
movements that occurred in this area during the Tertiary<br />
times, in association with formation <strong>of</strong> the Western Rift<br />
valley in East Africa; and later the volcanic lava damming<br />
<strong>of</strong> rivers flowing on the raised and tilted landscape. As a<br />
result, Lake Bunyonyi occupies one <strong>of</strong> the deepest and<br />
long winding narrow valleys, characteristic <strong>of</strong> this Kigezi<br />
94<br />
region and a reminiscent <strong>of</strong> the intense Tertiary rifting<br />
in this part <strong>of</strong> the country. The entire lake is encircled<br />
by towering ridges and hills, with very steep slopes that<br />
abruptly drop to the very narrow lake shores. Water from<br />
rivers filled a drowned deep and moderately wide streak<br />
valley which was then dammed by lava to form one <strong>of</strong><br />
the deepest lakes in Africa. The lake covers an area <strong>of</strong> 46<br />
km 2 and has an average depth <strong>of</strong> 39m (Langlands 1974).<br />
Credit...................... NEMA 2007
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