Lake Nokoué
Lake in Benin From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Nokoué is a lake in the southern part of Benin. It is 20 km (12 mi) wide and 11 km (6.8 mi) long and covers an area of 4,900 ha (12,000 acres).[1] The lake is partly fed by the Ouémé River and the Sô River, both of which deposit sediments from throughout the region in the lake.[2]
| Lake Nokoué | |
|---|---|
| Denham Waters | |
 Lake Nokoué seen from space (false colour) | |
  Lake Nokoué | |
| Coordinates | 6.433333°N 2.45°E |
| Basin countries | Benin |
| Max. length | 20 km (12 mi) |
| Max. width | 11 km (6.8 mi) |
The city of Cotonou sits on the southern border of the lake. Sections of the population of Cotonou have been displaced by coastal and lake flooding.[3] On the northern edge of the lake is the town of Ganvié.
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Because of its diverse wildlife, the lake provides an important source of food and economic activity for these towns.[3] Fishing is best when water is low between November and June.[1] Fishing is typically of 30 species of fish, with fish from the Cichlid, Clupeidae and Penaeidae families making 85% of the catch.[1] The fishery became more stressed during the 1990s, as more people began fishing on the lake.[1] Fishing is typically artisanal, with small crew dugout canoes catching small batches of fish.[1] The estimated fish production of the lake is 2 tonnes per hectare per year.[4]
The lake is also used for Acadja, a type of fish breeding facility.[1]
The lake, in large part, is a lagoon.[5] With the surrounding low-lying topography, the lake is expected to double in size and flood as the current global climate change gradually affects the sea level.[3] This development carries a risk of future salinisation, which will make the freshwater lake more brackish and potentially change its ecology.[3] Different sections of the lake currently alternate between freshwater and brackish ecosystems at an average depth of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in).[1] Normal temperatures throughout the lake are between 27 and 29 °C (81 and 84 °F).[1]
The lake is a site of deposition of both pesticides and heavy metals from upstream industry and human habitation.[4] Though the pesticides are only present in fish at less than toxic levels,[4] the heavy metals in the waters can reach levels in fish both unhealthy for humans and the fish.[citation needed]
The floor of the lake is a mixture of sand, muddy-sand and mud layers.[1]
Lake Nokoué has at least 78 species of fish.[5] A number of bird species exploit the wide variety of fish as food, as well as species of otter.[5]
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