Lake Chiuta

Lake Chiuta is a shallow lake on the border between Malawi and Mozambique. It lies to the north of Lake Chilwa and to the south of Lake Amaramba, which has no outlet, and the lakes are separated by a sandy ridge. Both lakes lie in a graben which runs northeast-southwest, east of the main African Rift Valley.

Lake Chiuta is 3–4 meters deep and ranges in size from 25 to 130 square kilometers, depending on the season and rainfall. Lake Chiuta and Amaramba is intermittently linked to the Lugenda River, a tributary of the Ruvuma River.

Lake Chiuta can desiccate completely (Owen et al. 198?)

Mean Depth: 1.13 m / average surface area: 199 km² / average volume: 0.225 km³ / encatchment area: 1755 km² (Ojda 1994)

Predominant commercial fish species: Oreochromis shiranus shiranus (Chambo), Clarias griepinus (Mlamba), Barbus paludinosus (Matemba) / 37 fish species recorded in total (Ojda 1994)

Dominating aquatic macrophytes: Potamogeton welwitschii + Ceratophyllum demersum (submerged); Eliocharis dulcis, Oryza barthii, Vossia cuspidata, etc. (Ojda 1994)

• L. Chiuta-N 01.jpg

  Lake Chiuta - northern tip

• L. Chiuta-N 02.jpg

  Lake Chiuta - middle part

• L. Chiuta-N 03.jpg

  Lake Chiuta - Nafisi Inselbergs

• L. Chiuta-N 04.jpg

  Lake Chiuta - fishermen viewed from Chiuta Isl.

• L. Chiuta-N 05.jpg

  Lake Chiuta - checking gillnets

• Chiuta Isl-1.jpg

  Lake Chiuta - Chiuta Isl.

• Chiuta-Sulfur.jpg

  Lake Chiuta - unique atmosphere

References

• Dawson, A.L. (1970). "The Geology of the Lake Chiuta Area". Geological Survey Dept., Ministry of Natural Resources Malawi. Government Printer, Zomba, Malawi
• Owen, R.B & R. Crossley, 198?. "Recent sedimentation in Lakes Chilwa and Chiuta, Malawi". Dept. of Geography and Earth Science, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
• Ojda, Lutz W. (1994). "Der Chiuta See in Malawi - Studie eines fluktuierenden tropischen Ökosystems mit Fokus auf dessen maximalen fischereilichen Dauerertrags (MSY) und seiner wirtschaftlichen Bedeutung für die angrenzende Kawinga-Ebene" (Monographie) Dissertation / Universität Hamburg / IHF
• Thieme, Michelle L. (2005). Freshwater Ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar: A Conservation Assessment. Island Press, Washington DC. pp. 173–175.