The factory would be accompanied by accommodation for approximately 1000 laborers and a coal-fired power plant to supply electricity to the plant.

The factory would collect sodium carbonate from lake water and convert it to washing powder which is to be exported.

The projected establishment of a soda ash factory near Lake Natron’s beaches has become a new hazard. Despite plans to build a dike at the north end of Lake Natron to restrict the freshwater, the potential of dilution to this breeding site remains a severe concern. More predicted logging in the Natron watershed regions and a proposed hydroelectric power station on the Ewaso Nyiro across the Kenyan border would pose threats to the salinity balance due to increasing siltation influxes. Threats to the Environment and Preservation Surrounding Lake NatronĪlthough the land around Lake Natron is uninhabited, there is some seasonal agriculture and grazing. alcalica is found in Lake Natron, it is not endemic. In the waters of the hot spring inlets, two indigenous fish species, the alkaline tilapias Alcolapia ndalani and A. The mudflats are also breeding zones for greater flamingos.īecause of its strong link to the Lesser flamingos as their sole permanent nesting habitat, Lake Natron inspired Disneynature’s nature documentary The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos. Due to its caustic environment, predators are unable to access their eggs on evaporite islands, which are formed seasonally, Lake Natron is a safe nesting habitat. These flamingos, East Africa’s only sizable flock, congregate along neighboring salty lakes to feast on Spirulina (red pigmented blue-green algae). When salinity rises, cyanobacteria thrive, and more nesting birds can be supported by the lake. Lake Natron is the sole regular breeding place for the 2.5 million lesser flamingos in East Africa, who have been classified as “near endangered” due to their reliance on this single locale. Some fish may even thrive in somewhat less saline water along their edges. Nonetheless, indigenous algae, birds, and invertebrates can be found in Lake Natron. The high temperature of Lake Natron (a maximum of 60 ☌ ) and high and changeable salt concentration are unsuitable to most species. Around the lake’s margins, freshwater and salt marshes wetlands host a diverse range of flora. The salt-loving bacteria that reside there typically tint the alkali salt crust on the lake’s surface pink or red. The deep reds of the open water of the lake and the orange hues of the shallow areas of the lake are produced by the red accessory photosynthesizing pigmentation of the cyanobacteria. Some cyanobacteria, for example, are halophile creatures that create their own food through photosynthesis, just like plants. Salinity levels rise when water evaporates in the dry season, allowing salt-loving microbes to flourish. Lake Natron’s color is indicative of lakes with extremely high evaporation rates. The lake has been able to concentrate into a caustic alkaline brine as a result of this. Carbonate is abundant in the lavas, although magnesium and calcium levels are quite low. The neighboring bedrock is made up of alkaline, sodium concentrated trachyte lavas that date back to the Pleistocene. The lake’s alkalinity can exceed a pH of 12. Trona (sodium sesquicarbonate dihydrate) and Natron (sodium carbonate decahydrate) have been left behind due to high amounts of evaporation. Lake Natron’s temperature is usually above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The surrounding region experiences erratic seasonal rainfall, with an annual total of 800 mm (31 inches) falling primarily between May and December. Lake Natron has a breadth of 57km (35 miles) and is 22 km (14 miles) broad at its widest point. It is relatively shallow, measuring only up to three meters (9.8 feet) deep, and its breadth changes depending on the water level. The Southern Ewaso Ng’iro River, which originates from central Kenya, and hot springs rich in minerals are the main sources of water supply for the Lake Natron. Satellite image of the lake on 6 March 2017 The lake is located inside Lake Natron Basin, which is a Ramsar Site wetland of worldwide importance. It is located in the Gregory Rift, which is part of the East African Rift Valley‘s eastern branch. Lake Natron is an alkaline or saline lake in Tanzania’s Arusha Region, located in the north Ngorongoro District. 1.3 Threats to the Environment and Preservation Surrounding Lake Natron.1 Lake Natron – Flora, Fauna, Preservation, Visiting and More.

Lake natron animals