Uganda Atlas of Our Changing Environment - GRID-Arendal

Rainy season: Kooki hills in the background overlooking Lake Kijanebarola, Rakai District (NEMA 2008)
Origin of Lake Kijanebarola and River Rwizi-Kibare-Bukora system
During the formation of the Western Rift valley system,
landscape was tilted eastwards which led to rivers and
streams being reversed to flow through new routes
on a down warped landscape and drowned valleys.
Consequently, a fairly long river system of Rwizi-Kibare-
Bukora developed. The system originates from its
uppermost catchment in the south-western highlands of
Itojo, Rwampara, and Buhweju in Ntungamo, Mbarara and
Bushenyi districts, respectively. Due to the down warping
effects, depressions were formed along its course, which
were filled with water both from the river flow and from
micro-catchments to form lakes Kacheera, Mburo and
Kijanebarola. On its long course from the highlands to
Lake Victoria, the river flows out of lakes, Kacheera and
Mburo, through Kanagisa wetlands - a poorly defined
valley system with numerous shallow depressions choked
by wetlands; and then into Kijanebalola, a rather streak
valley that was filled by water from the river and flanking
cathments to form the lake. From Lake Kejanebarola, the
system changes into Kibare-Bukora Rivers, which drain
the Kooki hills through the Sango Bay plains, and then into
Lake Victoria via the western shores.
The Lake Kijanebalola feature is itself a recent formation,
which is a result of drowning of part of Rwizi-Kibare river
course. It is a very shallow lake with an average depth of
84
5 m; and occupies a wide and streak valley, covering a
surface area of 35 km 2 and with a circumference of about
88 km. The name of the lake itself implies that it was
formed when people were there seeing. Although the age
of the lake is not readily known, it is a recent formation
and could be traced and estimated through both scientific
and folklore means.
The water catchments of the rivers and lakes are
experiencing heavy population pressures, which become
the key driver of environmental change in the area. Due
to population pressure, land degradation has increased
to unprecedented magnitudes, especially through loss of
vegetation cover and soil erosion. This is thought to have
reduced the hydrological potential of the catchments and
consequently the volumes of water flowing through the
river to the lakes. In addition, heavy silting of the river
valleys and the lakes has the effect of reduced the water
holding capacity of these water systems; and worse still,
the shallow nature of the lakes and the high potential
evaporation rates in the area may augment the problem.
Environmental change
Of recent both the river system and the lakes through
which it drains have experienced heavy silting and
this has affected the water quality to the extent that
Rakai District Local Administration (2007)