Lake Nakuru
| Lake Nakuru | |
|---|---|
View of lake from Baboon cliff | |
| Location | Rift valley |
| Coordinates | 0°22′S 36°05′E / 0.367°S 36.083°E |
| Lake type | alkaline lake |
| Primary outflows | Lake Nakuru has no outflow. No rivers or cracks flowing out of Lake Nakuru |
| Basin countries | Kenya |
| Surface area | 5 to 45 km2 (1.9 to 17.4 sq mi) |
| Average depth | 1 foot (0.30 m) |
| Max. depth | 6 feet (1.8 m) |
| Surface elevation | 1,754 m (5,755 ft) |
| Frozen | Lake Nakuru is nestled in the vast great Rift Valley. The lake never freezes. |
| Designated | 5 June 1990 |
| Reference no. | 476 |
Lake Nakuru is one of the Rift Valley lakes, located at an elevation of 1,754 m (5,755 ft) above sea level. It lies to the south of Nakuru, in the rift valley of Kenya and is protected by Lake Nakuru National Park.
About 10,000 years ago, Lake Nakuru, together with neighboring Lake Elementaita and Lake Naivasha (60 km further south), formed one single, deep freshwater lake that eventually dried up, leaving the three lakes as remnants.
Water levels in Lake Nakuru have since varied considerably, with the lake almost drying up several times over the past 50 years. A significant drop happened in the early 1990s. In 2013, levels again increased rapidly, leading to the migration of many flamingos to Lake Bogoria in search of food supply. Between 2010 and 2020 Lake Nakuru increased in surface area from 40 to 68 square kilometres (15 to 26 sq mi). 677 households, parts of Nakuru town and some National Park areas had been flooded.
Since 2021, there has been an alarming increase in the rising water levels at the lake caused by climate change. This upsurge of water levels led to displacement of animals from the park and destruction of property, submersion of the main entrance gate and other park infrastructure.
Lake Nakuru is protected under the Ramsar Convention on wetlands.