Lake Ol’ Bolossat lies 7,600 feet above sea level, and below the spectacular Aberdare mountain ranges
The lake’s uniqueness offers a variety of habitats making it rich in biodiversity
The climate around lake Ol’Bolossat is semi-humid and is strongly influenced by local topography due to the surrounding highlands.
The main physical features of the Lake Ol’Bolossat region include Kinangop Plateau and Ol’ Kalou/ Ol’ Joro Orok plateaus which have slopes that are interrupted by low undulating hills and sloping depressions
Being close to the Great Rift Valley, the lake sits along with one of Kenya’s most important bird migration flyways, hence a suitable site for feeding and resting and probably as a wintering ground for the Palearctic migrants
Lake Ol’ Bolossat is the source of the Ewaso Nyiro River which has its source from Aberdares Ranges
The lake lies within the central tourism circuit Nyeri – Nakuru, Naivasha – Maralal –Baringo, and Nanyuki – Baringo
The lake also Supplies clean water in Nyahururu town and the surrounding areas of Nyandarua county
Lake Ol’Bolossat also support tourism at Thomson’s fall, where most birdwatchers make a stop to look for the Slender-billed Starling and African Black Duck
The Lake also supports the livelihoods of communities, livestock, and wildlife in the dry Laikipia, Samburu, Isiolo, and Garissa Counties
The Lake’s rich biodiversity includes hippopotamus which occurs in large numbers and over 150 bird species
Bird species in Lake Ol’Bolossat includes; the endangered Grey-crowned Crane and the endemic Sharpe’s Longclaw both of which are high on the bird see list in Kenya
Lake Ol’Bolossat has the highest population of Grey-crowned Cranes in East Africa where successful breeding records have been documented
The concentration of Ducks, Geese, and Coots is very high in Lake Ol’Bolossat
Widely referred to as the “kidneys of the landscape”, wetlands are, indeed, critical in the functioning of the global hydrological cycle.
They play a regulatory role in climate systems, water purification, and waste removal, re-charge of groundwater, and provide a suitable habitat for many aquatic plants and animals
Lakes make cities habitable in various ways – they control flooding, replenish drinking water, filter waste, provide urban green spaces along their shores, and are a source of livelihoods
Lake Ol’Bolossat is home to a variety of bird species, its one of the important lakes for migrating ducks and other waterbirds, offering suitable breeding, feeding, and wintering grounds
Lake Ol’Bolossat has a significant number of Sharpe’s Longclaw a globally threatened and Kenya high-altitude grassland endemic bird
The lake holds the second largest Kenyan population of the endangered Grey Crowned Crane, and probably the highest density of breeding pairs across the species range
Notable birds In Lake Ol’ Bolossat
