Lake Nyamusingire

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Wikipedia

Lake Nyamusingire
Location of Lake Nyamusingire in Uganda
Location of Lake Nyamusingire in Uganda
Lake Nyamusingire
LocationRubirizi District, Uganda
TypeCrater lake
Basin countriesUganda
Surface area3.84 kilometres (2.39 mi)[1]
Average depth3 metres (9.8 ft)[1]
Surface elevationc. 1,010 metres (3,310 ft)[2]

Lake Nyamusingire, also known as Lake Nyamisigeri, is a crater lake in Western Uganda, Rubirizi District. The lake is endowed with flora and fauna that act as tourist attractions.[3][4][5]

Location and setting

Lake Nyamusingire lies in Rubirizi District in western Uganda, close to other crater-lake features in the Bunyaruguru area.[2] Some travel guides describe the lake as being near the localities of Chekoba and Nyakiyanja and within the Queen Elizabeth National Park area.[6]

Geology and formation

Western Uganda contains numerous volcanic explosion craters, many of which filled with water to form crater lakes.[7] UWA describes Lake Nyamusingire as a site formed by three connected crater lakes.[8]

Physical characteristics

Studies of greenhouse-gas fluxes from African inland waters describe Lake Nyamusingire as a small, shallow lake (about 3.84 km2, about 3 m deep) with a polymictic mixing regime and eutrophic conditions.[1] GeoNames lists the lake at an elevation of about 1,010 m above sea level.[2]

Ecology

UWA notes Lake Nyamusingire as habitat for the African finfoot (Podica senegalensis).[8] The surrounding Maramagambo Forest supports forest birds and primates on guided walks that include the lake and nearby features such as the Bat Cave and the Blue Lake.[8]

Public health and research

A survey of crater lakes in western Uganda assessing freshwater snails linked to schistosomiasis surveillance included Lake Nyamusingire among sampled sites and reported a location and altitude for the lake in its site table.[9]

Tourism

Tourism operators market the lake for nature walks around Maramagambo Forest, birdwatching, and non-motorised lake activities such as canoeing and kayaking, often paired with visits to the nearby Bat Cave and other crater-lake viewpoints.[6] The Uganda Hotel Owners Association’s hotel guide lists a lodge that overlooks Lake Nyamusingire in Rubirizi District.[10]

Conservation

The lake sits within a protected landscape managed under the Queen Elizabeth National Park system, and UWA promotes guided access through Maramagambo Forest routes that include Lake Nyamusingire and nearby attractions.[8]

See also

  • "Lake Nyamusingire, Uganda". GeoNames. Retrieved 19 December 2025.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Greenhouse gas emissions from African lakes are no longer a blind spot". ResearchGate. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 "Lake Nyamusingire, Uganda". GeoNames. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  3. ↑ nikita (11 January 2023). "Crater Lakes of Queen Elizabeth National Park-GorillaLand Safaris". Gorillas Uganda Safaris. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  4. ↑ "Lake Nyamusingire Queen Elizabeth National Park". Inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  5. ↑ "Lake Nyamusingire". GeoNames. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  6. 1 2 "Lake Nyamusingire". Inside Queen Elizabeth National Park. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  7. ↑ "Vulcanicity in East Africa" (PDF). ASBAT Library (S3). Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Queen Elizabeth National Park" (PDF). Uganda Wildlife Authority. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "Molecular identification of Bulinus spp. intermediate host snails of Schistosoma spp. in crater lakes of western Uganda with implications for the transmission of the Schistosoma haematobium group parasites" (PDF). Parasites & Vectors (BioMed Central). Retrieved 19 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "Uganda Hotel Guide 2020–21" (PDF). Uganda Hotel Owners Association. Retrieved 19 December 2025.

0°17′11″S 30°01′48″E / 0.28639°S 30.03000°E / -0.28639; 30.03000