Lake Wamala

Lake Wamala
Location	Mityana District, Uganda
Coordinates
Primary inflows	River Nyanzi River Kitenga River Kabasuma River Mpamujugu River Bimbye
Primary outflows	Kibimba River
Basin countries	Uganda
Surface area	250 km2 (97 sq mi)
Surface elevation	1,290 m (4,230 ft)
Islands	Lwanja Island Mabo Island Bagwe Island
Settlements	Mityana, Uganda

Lake Wamala is a relatively small freshwater lake in Uganda.

Location

The lake is in the districts of Mubende, Mityana, and Mpigi in the Central Region of Uganda. The road distance between downtown Mityana and Lake Wamala is approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi).

Overview

Lake Wamala covers an area of approximately 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi). It is dotted by many islands including Lwanju Island, Mabo Island, and Bagwe Island, Kiraza, Kazinga, among others. The lake is associated with several rivers and wetlands. Several rivers flow into the lake, including the following: (a) River Nyanzi (b) River Kitenga (c) River Kaabasuma (d) River Mpamujugu and (e) River Bbimbye. Lake Wamala is drained by the Kibimba River into the Katonga River, which in turn drains into Lake Victoria. However, the Kibimba River is highly seasonal, and for much of the time its course remains essentially dry. Lake Wamala is of significant economic and cultural interest locally, and is jointly administered by the districts of Mubende, Mityana and Mpigi, each of which share a part of the lake along common borders.

History

More than 4,000 years ago Lake Wamala was part of Lake Victoria, but has since receded into its current state. One apocryphal myth supposes that Lake Wamala derives its name from a King Wamala, the last monarch of the Bachwezi dynasty and that King Wamala disappeared into the lake at a site near Lubajja fishing village called Nakyegalika and his spirit resides in the lake. The lake is of traditional and cultural significance to the people of Buganda in Central Uganda.

Flora and fauna

The vegetation surrounding Lake Wamala is dominated by papyrus, other spectacular floaters and water based vegetation. There are also trees such as Raphia and other palms. There exist remnants of a variety of animal species such as sitatunga, wild pigs, hippopotamus, bushbuck, waterbuck, vervet monkey, baboon and a variety of birds such as guinea fowl and turaco. A diversity of water based birds are visible in the remaining wetlands. Existing fish species include tilapia, catfish and lungfish.

Fishing patterns

During the 1960s and the early 1970s, Lake Wamala was an important source of both fresh and smoked fish sold locally and in the big towns in Central Uganda. Due to mismanagement and uncontrolled, unregulated commercial fishing on the lake, the fish were depleted in the mid-1970s.

External links

• About Lake Wamala
• Lakes and Rivers of Uganda

See also

• River Katonga
• Empire of Kitara
• Bunyoro-Kitara
• Kabaka of Buganda