Lake Edward – Queen Elizabeth National Park
Lake Edward in Queen Elizabeth National Park
Lake Edward / uganda lakes is one of the water bodies in Queen Elizabeth National Park and it supplements the beauty of Queen Elizabeth national park. It happens to be the smallest rift valley lake in Uganda and ranks 15th among the sizable lakes in Africa.
Geography and hydrology of Lake Edward
The Lake is located in Kasese District, in the western region of Uganda. The lake is shared by Uganda (about 29% of the lakes surface area) and the democratic republic of congo (71% of the lakes surface area). The northern shoreline of Edward is located next to the major latitude of equator.
This is the smallest lake in the Albertine Region, however, phenomenal in its way. Lake Edward is located in the western branch of the East African rift valley; it lies on the border of the democratic republic of Congo and Uganda. The Lake covers a surface area of 2325 sq km in length and width; Lake Edward is maximally, 38 km approximately 84 miles long, and about 25 miles wide. The lake is not so deep; its deepest end is near to the western shore next to the escarpment.
The lake has the maximum volume of water; 39.5cu.km approximately, 9.5cu mi. the main inflows of the lake include River Ntungwe, River Ishasha, River Ntungwe, River Rutshuru, and River Rwindi and River Lubilia in the south. And, the major inlet to Lake Edward is river Semliki. Kazinga channel too however, its contribution is the least.
Wildlife of Lake Edward
At the Lake you can clearly view the beauty of nature at the so called mountains of the moon or Mountain Rwenzori. Lake Edward adjoins the savannah the vast savannah plains of Queen Elizabeth national park. From Lake Edward, you can have the very spectacular view of queen Elizabeth savanna plains. The shoreline of Edward is a habitat for animals like the, buffaloes, elephants, crocodiles and hippos are easily seen, plus, the sky above shores is a playground for a number of birds.
The Lake is a home to many fish species making fishing the very interesting and fruitful for the fishermen that use this spot. It has fish species like; Bugrass Docmak, Oreo Chromil, Leocosticus, Haplochromis and Hapochlomine among the rest fish species not mentioned (including the mentioned). However its shores no longer have human settlement, the reasons that are not known, apart from ishango community in the north as a section of the democratic republic of Congo (DRC).
Etymology of Lake Edward
This lake was formerly called Mwitanzige or Rutanzige or Edward Nyanza, before it was baptized a new name of Edward in 1888 by the first explorer from Europe called sir henry Morton Stanley. Later during the regime of Idi Amin dada as president of Uganda, he named lake Edward by his name; Lake Idi Amin Dada, but the name did not stay for so long, the downfall of Idi Amin and his government in Uganda, brought back the name of the lake; lake Edward. Lake Edward was named after the Prince of Wales also the son of Queen Elizabeth 2nd of England called Edward the 7th.
From Lake Edward you can clearly see the montane woodlands in the albertine rift region. It is bordered by virunga national park in the democratic republic of Congo, semliki river valley game reserve in the north western shore, with swamps like rutshuru, rwindi and ishasha river swamps in the north eastern shores of Edward.
