Introduction

A number of ecological characteristics make this tropical man made lake fairly unique compared with the other great lakes on the African continent. The mean retention time of the waters is only about 3-4 years and the bulk of the water is lost through hydro-electricity turbines. Being in a tropical area with seasonal rainfalls, the lake experiences annual draw-downs of about 3 m although this is exceeded during periods of drought. Lake Kariba lies over an infertile bedrock and the overall productivity is dependent on nutrient inflow from the catchment (Marshall 1982), so that productivity declines in periods of drought

An introductory look at the ecological and aquatic systems of the Lake Kariba.